


A Step at a Time

by JamieHasCatEyes



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien's POV, Complete, F/M, Fluff, Friendship, Full Reveal, Minor Angst, Poor Adrien, Redemption, cheese factor, he's oblivious, partial reveal, unusual pairing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-23
Updated: 2017-12-10
Packaged: 2019-02-05 22:11:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 20,053
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12803460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JamieHasCatEyes/pseuds/JamieHasCatEyes
Summary: It's Parent/Teacher Day, and things did not turn out how Adrien expected.





	1. Wherein Adrien Wants to be Anywhere Else

Adrien couldn’t believe it. Was that flirting? Was flirting happening right now? It was repulsive. Nauseating. His father was flirting with Ms Bustier.

Adrien and Gabriel were sitting opposite Caline at her desk in their usual classroom. It was a standard parent/teacher meeting and Adrien had been expecting an uneventful interview. He was a good student, after all. Nothing to report but how well Adrien performed in class.

‘You must be very proud of him, Mister Agreste,’ Caline said.

‘I am. He has always excelled in his studies. However, some credit must be awarded to you. You are an exemplary teacher,’ Gabriel replied.

Caline put a delicate hand to her mouth to conceal a small smile  and light blush. Adrien placed his hands on either side of his face and fanned his fingers out to block his view. 

‘Please, do call me Gabriel,’ Gabriel continued. Adrien lowered his hands and slowly glanced at his father. Did Gabriel Agreste actually tell someone to address him by his first name? This was unprecedented.

Caline smiled. ‘Well, Gabriel, you’ve raised a fine son. It can’t be easy as a single parent.’ Caline gasped at her blunder as a shadow passed across Gabriel’s and Adrien’s faces.  
‘I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.’ Caline continued to babble apologies until Gabriel held up a hand.

‘It was bound to come up eventually,’ Gabriel replied. ‘My wife has been missing for over a year now, and even the authorities believe she has passed away.’

Adrien lowered his head. It was true; his mother had been gone for a long time, but the pain of loss still hurt as fresh as ever.

‘Still, I shouldn’t have said anything,’ Caline murmured. ‘Forgive me.’

‘My dear, there is nothing to forgive. Since Adele vanished, it has been difficult raising Adrien alone.’

Adrien snorted. Gabriel glanced at him out of the corner of his eye before continuing. 

‘Adrien can have a stubborn, even a rebellious streak. A trait inherited from his mother.’

Adrien snorted again, louder. Gabriel sent him a subtle glare before saying, ‘but with help from marvelous people such as yourself, life in general has become much more manageable.’

‘We here at Françoise Dupont try our hardest to make every student feel comfortable and included. But tell me, would it be too presumptuous of me to suggest sending Adrien to a counselor? Please, don’t misunderstand,’ Caline rushed to add, ‘Adrien fits in well here and has made many good friends. But perhaps, he may find some comfort in speaking to someone about his mother.’

Gabriel frowned at his lap. He didn’t bother to mention that he hadn’t spoken to Adrien about his mother, he simply let Caline think mentioning someone objective would be a better listener, maybe provide some insight and support and help Adrien understand his mother had left for good. Maybe that was right.

Gabriel placed a light hand on Caline’s wrist. ‘I think that may be a very good idea. I’ve never been one to discuss my feelings or let my emotions show.’

Adrien stared openly at Gabriel. This level of sharing was unheard of, even when his mother was around. 

‘It probably would be beneficial to Adrien’s long-term mental health if he were able to discuss this with a professional,’ Gabriel nodded.

‘I’m right here, you know. Don’t I get  a say in this?’ Adrien muttered.

‘I can organise an appointment with the school counselor next week.’ Caline spoke as if Adrien weren’t there. Adrien humphed and crossed his arms.  
‘You have helped us immeasurably, Ms Bustier,’ Gabriel said.

‘Please, call me Caline.’

‘We would be lost without you. If there is ever anything  we can do to repay you, please let me know.’ Gabriel was laying on the charm, Adrien noticed. ‘Perhaps I could take you to dinner tomorrow night?’ Gabriel smiled while Caline stared at him in stunned silence. Adrien was staring, too, with his mouth open and eyes wide. 

‘I, well. I suppose. Though it’s a bit unorthodox.’ Caline was blushing again.

‘Nonsense. I’m just a grateful father showing his appreciation to the lovely young lady who so diligently teaches and encourages my only child,’ Gabriel argued.  
Nathalie did all that, too, Adrien thought. You’re not asking her on a date, though, are you?

‘Shall I pick you up at seven?’ Gabriel asked.

Caline fiddled with her hair before saying, ‘that sounds perfect.’

Adrien couldn’t believe this was happening. As Gabriel and Caline finalised the details and wrapped up the meeting, Adrien wondered how all of this had gone so horribly wrong.


	2. Adults are Confusing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabe leaves for his date and Adrien is traumatised.

‘Adrien? I’m leaving now,’ Gabriel called. He had dressed up for the evening in a formal, dark blue dinner suit. Adrien thought he looked like a funeral director.

‘Are you sure about this?’ Adrien asked.

‘Of course I am,’ Gabriel answered as he adjusted his cuff links. 

‘But you’re so old,’ Adrien exclaimed. ‘Positively ancient. Miss Bustier is, what, half your age?’

Gabriel leveled a glare at him.’I’m thirty-nine and Caline is twenty-seven.’

‘But that’s,’ Adrien counted on his fingers, ‘twelve years difference,’ he almost shouted.

Gabriel sighed. ‘The older you get, the less such a gap means. We’re both consenting adults - ‘ 

‘Ew,’ Adrien shouted, sticking his tongue out and putting his fingers in his ears. ‘We’re not talking about sex stuff.’

Gabriel raised an eyebrow. ‘I never mentioned sex,’ he pointed out. ‘This is just two adults going out for dinner. Nothing more.’

‘Does she know that?’ Adrien asked. He recalled Caline’s smiling, blushing, and hair-twirling.

‘Of course she does. Caline isn’t the type of person who makes assumptions or jumps head first into a relationship. She knows these things have to be felt out first.’

Adrien winced at Gabriel’s choice of words, then tilted his head. That made no sense. “Feel out what, exactly?’

‘That both parties are in agreement about what they expect to get out of a meeting such as this,’ Gabriel explained. ‘If something more develops, then that too will be discussed.’

Adrien made a non-committal noise in his throat. ‘Well then, good luck,’ Adrien wished, dubiously.

‘Thank you, Adrien. Don’t wait up,’ Gabriel smirked as he walked out the door.

Adrien stared ah his father’s back, dumbstruck. Who was this man and what had he done with Gabriel Agreste?

Adrien put his head in his hands and sank to the floor, morose thoughts about what school will be like on Monday circling in his mind. Adrien decided then that absolutely no one could know about father and Miss Bustier.


	3. Secrets and Suffering

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inconsistent chapter lengths are my jam

Monday morning dawned bright and sunny. Adrien, however, sat at his desk in class, a proverbial cloud of misery surrounding him. Gabriel and Caline had gone out to dinner on Saturday night. Apparently, it had gone so well they had a picnic lunch date on Sunday. Gabriel had come home after each event smiling. Adrien rested his chin on his hand and stared despondently at nothing as he thought on this unnerving turn of events.

'Dude, check out Mister Model,' an obnoxious voice boomed. 'What heppened, Golden Boy, someone steal your Top Model title?' Kim teased.

'Move it, Meat Head.' Alix kicked him behind the knee. 'You're in the way,' she told him as she moved toward her desk.

'You alright, Bro?' Nino asked as he slid in beside Adrien.

'Yeah, I'm fine,' Adrien mumbled automatically.

'You look like you just watched The Human Centipede.'

'The what?' Adrien tilted his head.

'Never mind,' Nino blurted as he looked away.

'Anyway,' Adrien continued, 'I'm fine. Just tired.' The only thing tired was that excuse, but it always worked. If the truth got out, Adrien would never live down the humiliation. The taunts of Teacher's Pet haunted him before it even began.

The rest of the class shuffled in, barely awake and unhappy to be there. Madame Bustier entered and smiled widely, but turned a disapproving eye on Marinette as she stumbled in, late. Caline watched Marinette take her seat, but as she looked away, Adrien thought Caline looked directly at him with a subtle smile before moving on to roll call. Adrien's horrific imaginings came back, clearer than ever.

All morning, Adrien shifted awkwardly in his seat. Nino asked three times if he were alright, Adrien nodding like a demented bobble-head every time. However, the day progressed as usual, and after lunch, Adrien thought it might be fine if he relaxed. Of course Caline wasn't going to talk about her private life while on the job, and there was no way Adrien was going to say anything. Unless Gabriel suddenly decided to confide in Adrien's classmates, no one could possibly know he was dating the teacher.

'Adrien, could you repeat what I just said?' Caline interrupted his musings. 'I'd hate to have to tell Gabriel you were daydreaming in class.'

Adrien felt all eyes turn to him. Slowly, murmurs filled the room.

'Did she say "Gabriel"?'

'Why would she have to tell him?'

'Is your dad banging the teacher?' Kim shouted, equal parts scandalised and gleeful. Adrien wished Kim's moment of acuity had happened at any other time as the whispers stopped.

Caline put her hands on her hips. 'Kim, we don't use such vulgar language in the classroom,' she scolded.

'I'm not hearing a "no,"' Kim continued to tease.

'It's very bad manners to discuss another's romantic life. If you continue like this, I'll have no choice but to send you to the principal's office,' Caline threatened.

'Ok, fine. I'm sorry, Madame Bustier,' Kim said, clearly not contrite.

Caline frowned, but turned around to continue writing on the board. A ball of paper hit Adrien's shoulder; he turned to see Kim mouth at him, 'this isn't over.' Adrien sighed.

The final bell rang and Adrien bolted out of his seat. He thought he'd avoided a confrontation until he tried to leave the locker room. Kim was standing in the doorway with the class, and some students from other classes, behind him.

'Alright, level with us, man,' Kim began. 'Is your dad dating Madame Bustier?'

There were startled gasps from the students from the other classes and the murmuring began anew. Adrien began to sweat as mutters of Teacher's Pet and Preferential Treatment became audible.

'Hey,' an angry voice shouted, and several students staggered as Marinette forcefully pushed her way to the front. 

'Stop talking rubbish, Kim,' she demanded. 'Adrien's not like that. He'd never accept "preferential treatment". He's always insisted he be treated like everyone else.' Red faced and huffing, Marinette glared at the crowd as they looked at their feet, awkward and ashamed. 'You had all better apologise to Adrien,' she finished.

'But what if Monsieur Agreste is dating Madame Bustier?' asked Alix.

'So what if he is?' Marinette returned. 'It's none of our business and won't impact us at all. Madame Bustier, Monsieur Agreste, and Adrien would never allow a connection like that to influence the classroom.'

Adrien stared at Marinette, thankful for her presence. She had always been nice and sensible, if a bit weird, and Adrien appreciated her support.

'You would say something like that, wouldn't you?' Lila sneered.

'What's that supposed to mean?' Marinette asked, hands on her hips.

'You want to be a fashion designer when you graduate, so of course you'd get in good with your idol's son. Smoothing the way early, no doubt.'

Stunned, Adrien turned to Lila. He couldn't believe something like that of Marinette. He didn't know her well, but she had always seemed like an honest person.

'Not to mention,' Lila continued, 'your hopeless crush on Adrien. Seriously, is there anything you won't do to get his attention? Or maybe you just like who his father is. Did you plan on riding Monsieur Agreste's coattails into the fashion industry? Admit it, you just want to use Adrien to further your own career goals.' Lila smirked as everyone shuffled and glanced at Marinette from the corners of their eyes.

'How dare you?' Alya began, but Marinette fled, tears in her eyes. Alya glared furiously at Lila before shoving students out of her way to catch up to Marinette.

'I didn't hear a denial,' Lila gloated, cupping her hand around her ear.

Adrien hung his head and made his way through the silent crowd. He felt awful for Marinette; she had been humiliated when she had only wanted to defend him. Adrien wondered if Lila's accusation of a crush were true. He hoped it wasn't. He loved Ladybug and would hate to have to reject Marinette, especially after a scene like that.


	4. Late Night Talks and Bitchiness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The kids are miserable, but at least the adults are happy.

‘Hey, Ladybug. How do you know if someone likes you?’ Chat Noir asked quietly after patrol.

‘Well, that would depend on the person,’ Ladybug replied. ‘Some people might just say it to you, while others may take a more indirect approach.’

‘Like what?’ Chat Noir asked as he looked at the broad expanse of shimmering lights and smoggy night sky from their position on a flat roof in the middle of the city.

‘They could write a letter, draw a picture, give a gift. Why do you ask, Kitty, you think someone likes you?’ 

Chat Noir shrugged, ‘I’m not sure. She’s never said anything to me, or done anything. I don’t know what to do,’ he trailed off.

Ladybug turned to him, ‘so why do you think she likes you?’ Ladybug raised an eyebrow. ‘Not getting conceited are you?’ she asked with a grin.

‘What? No, it’s just something someone said,’ he muttered.

Ladybug looked at him for a long moment before shaking her head and saying, ‘I guess you can’t really do anything without proof. You’re just going to have to wait until she says something.’

‘Fantastic,’ Chat Noir grumbled.

Ladybug glanced at him from the corner of her eye. ‘Something tells me you’re not into this girl,’ she observed.

Chat Noir sighed. ‘It’s not like I don’t like her. As a friend. I just don’t feel that way about her. But, I don’t want to hurt her feelings, either,’ he finished weakly. Chat Noir’s ears drooped as Ladybug placed a consoling hand on his shoulder. 

‘If you don’t feel that way, then you don’t feel that way,' she said. ' You shouldn’t have to apologise for the way you feel. If she does confess to you, the only decent thing you can do is be honest,’ she held up a hand as Chat Noir began to protest. ‘Yes, her feelings will be hurt. She may even cry. But, it’s best to be honest. If you were to tell her you reciprocate her feelings to spare her the pain, you’ll just be hurting the both of you in the long run. If you turn her down too harshly, you could lose her as a friend.’

‘I could lose her friendship anyway, though, right?’

Ladybug smiled fondly at him, ‘if she’s any kind of decent, she’ll respect your feelings. Plus, I doubt she’ll throw away a friendship over some unrequited emotions. If she’s a friend of yours, she must be a better person than that,’ Ladybug finished.

Chat Noir gave Ladybug a warm and grateful smile. He appreciated her common sense and levelheadedness. As well as her insight into the workings of the female mind.

‘How was the rest of your week?’ she asked.

‘Uneventful,’ Chat Noir blurted a little too loudly. ‘Utterly, completely, and boringly uneventful. Yup,’ Chat Noir added in a quieter tone.

Ladybug raised an eyebrow at him.

 

As the week dragged on, Gabriel and Caline seemed to be increasingly happy together. Conversely, Adrien noted, Marinette seemed to be increasingly unhappy. She had always had trouble being around him, but now she wouldn’t even look at him. Adrien worried if it was finally Marinette’s turn to be akumatised.

Friday morning, Adrien entered the classroom to pure bedlam. Alya stood on Nino’s desk, shouting and pointing at Lila who sneered back and screeched unintelligibly while Nino cowered in Adrien’s seat. Chloe was yelling, just to be heard, while Sabrina encouraged her and shushed her in turns, to little effect. Rose sobbed in Juleka’s arms, begging the girls to calm down and talk rationally.

Ivan rested his chin on his desk, hands over his ears, grimacing. Kim was encouraging the girls, saying each had made a valid point and asking, ‘are you going to take that?’ after each reply. Alix kept yelling at Kim in an attempt to shut him up while Max, Nathaniel, and Mylene appeared to want to stay out of it.

‘You really are her best friend. Only you would support her pathetically doomed crush,’ Lila yelled.

‘You’re just bitter because Adrien rejected you,’ Alya retorted.

‘You’re both losers and Marinette doesn’t stand a chance with Adrien,’ Chloe added.

Lila straightened, hands on her hips. ‘Even the Tyrant agrees with me,’ she laughed. 

‘Of course Marinette can’t date Adrien. He’s way out of her league,’ Sabrina said with a firm nod.

‘Zip it, Igor,’ Alya snapped.

Lila laughed again. ‘Can’t take the truth, Cesaire?’ she taunted.

Alya swung back around to glare at Lila. ‘You can’t stand it, can you?’ she asked. ‘You hate the idea of anyone liking Adrien. You hate Marinette because of her crush on Adrien - ‘ Alya halted, face ashen.

‘I knew it,’ Lila crowed. ‘That hack really does like Adrien. Oh, my God, how pathetic.’

‘Alya,’ a timid voice behind Adrien said.

Adrien turned to see Marinette in the doorway, tears coursing down her face, looking at Alya. She looked hurt, betrayed and deeply humiliated. She turned and ran away, Alya running after her while Lila’s and Chloe’s mocking laughter echoed in the now silent room. 

‘What on Earth is going on in here?’ Caline demanded as she entered. ‘I could hear you from the street.’

Chloe and Lila babbled over the top of each other as Adrien slunk to his seat, feeling ill. Marinette and Alya didn’t come back.


	5. Wisdom from an Unlikely Source

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Plagg missed his calling as a motivational speaker.

Friday night, Adrien endured dinner with Gabriel and Caline. She had come over to “get to know” them outside of the school environment. Adrien shifted in his seat and avoided looking at them for too long, all that talk about third wheeling finally making sense. 

‘I trust you had a good week in school, Adrien,’ Gabriel said in an attempt to shift the conversation to include Adrien. He appreciated the gesture, but would have preferred Gabriel had asked about anything else.

‘It was a week,’ Adrien hedged.

‘It was a very quiet week up until this morning,’ Caline said. ‘I had hoped the kids were finally focusing on their studies, but it seems there were some underlying issues.’ 

Adrien looked at Caline from his place across the table, mentally willing her to be quiet.

‘Was there a problem?’ Gabriel asked.

Caline twirled her fork in her pasta. ‘A few of the girls were involved in a shouting match before two of them left and played truant for the rest of he day. I’m going to have to notify their parents. They’re usually such good girls, too,’ she finished ruefully.

Adrien bit his lip as the conversation moved on to more pleasant topics. He had to suppress the urge to groan when Gabriel and Caline eventually devolved to staring at each other and smiling like lovesick teenagers.

When he was finally excused from the table, Adrien went to his room and shut the door with a solid thud. 

‘That was predictably uncomfortable,’ Plagg stated.

Adrien slumped, ‘no kidding. Ugh, tell me I’m not like that with Ladybug.’

Plagg snickered, ‘she’d actually have to like you back for you to be anything like those two.’

‘Your support and friendship warm the cockles of my heart,’ Adrien said, flatly. He flopped into his desk chair and woke his computer, going to the Ladyblog. Plagg phased into the drawer containing a cooler bag full of his secret cheese stash. Adrien’s nose scrunched up as sounds of Plagg eating drifted from the drawer. There was nothing new on the blog, so Adrien checked his email only to find it empty. All revenues of distraction gone, Adrien tried to focus on his homework.

‘Are you still beating yourself up over Miss Pigtails?’ Plagg asked, finally full to capacity.

Adrien glared at Plagg from the corner of his eye. He looked like a small, over-inflated balloon. Adrien stifled a giggle at the thought of using Plagg as a bath plug. Plugg. Adrien snickered behind his hand before answering.

‘Her name is Marinette,’ Adrien said as he straightened in his seat. ‘It wouldn’t kill you to remember people’s names, you know.’

‘It might,’ Plagg quipped.

Adrien shrugged, ’anyway, it’s not just that. It’s everything.’

Plagg gave him a blank stare, so Adrien elaborated. ‘Marinette’s crush, and how bad she feels. It must’ve been awful, everyone finding out like that. Both times,’ Adrien trailed off as he remembered the scene in the locker room as well as the one in the classroom.

‘Also, Ladybug,’ Adrien continued. ‘She didn’t seem put out or jealous at all that some girl might like me.’

‘Why would she be?’ Plagg asked, scorn and disgust clear in his voice.

Adrien put his hands up. ‘I don’t expect her to be,’ he exclaimed. ‘I just want her to let me know how she feels about me.’

‘No, you just want her to like you. You know how she feels already,’ Plagg stated as he crossed his arms.

Adrien huffed. Plagg was right on both points, but it still bothered him that Plagg could read him so well.

‘So, what else is upsetting you?’ Plagg asked in a long-suffering tone. 

‘Father and Madame Bustier, the rest of the class - Chloe and Lila in particular,’ Adrien shrugged, suddenly realising his world was very small.

Plagg sagged, drifting down to sit on the desk. ‘Look, Kid. There’s nothing you can do about any of that stuff.’

‘What? But, there’s got to be something.’

‘No,’ Plagg interrupted. ‘There’s not. Miss Pigtails’ feelings are for her to deal with. Her life and happiness are not your responsibility.

‘Your father and your teacher are either going to be a thing, or the’re not. That’s for them to decide.They’re both adults and they deserve to be happy. If you can’t be happy for them, at least respect they’re consenting participants and are finding something healthy with each other. Kwami knows, it’s about time your father moved on. 

‘Your classmates shouldn’t even be a blip on your radar. That Jockstrap is an insensitive oaf, and the rest are just sheep. You shouldn’t concern yourself with the opinions of such small-minded people.

‘As for the Tyrant and Liar Liar, a quick boot up the backside ought to sort them out. They both need a reality check when it comes to you, personally. You could try to talk to them, tell them they don’t have a chance with you, that you don’t like the way they’re behaving, but that probably wouldn’t work on such stubborn, deluded creatures. They might take that on board, and work to improve themselves, but I wouldn’t count on it. Either way, they’d know how you feel, at least.’ 

Adrien gaped at Plagg. That was an impressive rant, but Adrien didn’t feel any better. He sighed and thought Plagg was probably right, despite the harsh assessment. There wasn’t much he could do.

As Adrien finished his homework and got ready for bed, he promised himself that he wouldn’t get caught up in other peoples' drama. But he would make an effort to be kinder to Marinette, crush or no, and have a talk with Chloe and Lila.


	6. Chat Noir Gets Wet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ladybug and Chat Noir have little talk

Saturday brought rain and an akuma. As he fought, Chat Noir thought Papillon must have been taking it easy that week since this had been the first akuma they’d had to deal with all week and its defeat had been absurdly simple, despite the rain.

Sunday was a bore. Gabriel had taken Caline out for the day, not bothering to tell Adrien where they were going. He wasn’t curious, but the courtesy would have been appreciated. He looked forward to meeting up with Ladybug later for patrol, it would be a welcome break in his monotonous day.

He greeted her from under a tarp suspended over a pile of neglected wooden crates on a rooftop in a less affluent part of the city. It still rained intermittently.

‘Hey, Chat Noir,’ Ladybug giggled behind her hand as she joined him under the meagre shelter. ‘Nice place you got here.’

One of Chat Noir’s artificial ears flicked a stray drop of water off. ‘I am but a poor alley cat in need of a warm, loving home. Would you care to adopt a stray, Gracious Lady?’ Chat Noir clasped his hands under his chin, giving her his biggest kitten eyes.

Ladybug gave an inelegant snort and crossed her arms. ‘I prefer hamsters, thanks.’

Chat Noir gasped, a comically exaggerated look of betrayal on his face. ‘Milady, you would prefer a mere rodent over an apex predator?’

In response, Ladybug placed the heel of her palm under Chat Noir’s chin and pushed up. When his head couldn’t go back any further, she pushed straight down. Ladybug caught Chat Noir’s wrist as he began to topple to lessen the impact. 

‘Yeah, you’re a real threat to small, furry things everywhere,’ she laughed, letting go of him.

Chat Noir gave her a mock glare from his place on the ground. ‘I suppose I should be thankful you didn’t kick my leg out from under me as well.’

Ladybug patted his head as she sat on a flimsy crate beside him. She smiled serenely as Chat Noir pulled himself out of a puddle and onto another crate, grumbling under his breath as he did.

‘How have you been, Kitty? Anything happen with that girl?’ she crossed her legs and leaned back, resting on her hands as she faced him.

‘My week was fairly dull,’ he replied, crossing his own legs into a tailor’s position. ‘I found out for a fact that girl likes me, though nothing else has happened there,’ Chat Noir tried to be nonchalant. 

‘Why not?’

‘She was outed by someone else. I suppose she’s too embarrassed to talk to me.’

‘I see,’ Ladybug murmured as she brought her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs.

Chat Noir studied her for a moment before asking, ‘is everything alright, Bug?’ He put a light hand on her back and leaned in. ‘Is there something you want to talk about?’

Shaking her head, Ladybug abruptly stood up. ‘It’s cold,’ she said tersely, ‘and the roofs will be slippery. I’m calling patrol off for tonight. I’ll see you later, Chat Noir.’ Ladybug was running before he’d even gotten to his feet.

‘What the hell?’


	7. Awkward Conversations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien has Talks with Lila and Chloe

‘Chloe, can I talk to you, privately?’ Adrien asked after Chloe’s usual exuberant morning greeting. Sabrina nodded to Chloe before moving to wait by the stairs to the upper gallery of the school.

Adrien glanced around the courtyard before pulling Chloe to an unoccupied bench. 

‘What is it, Adrikins?’ Chloe batted her eyelashes and puckered her lips as she waited for his response.

Adrien took a deep breath. ‘I wanted to talk to you about your behaviour. Particularly in regards to Marinette.’

Chloe blinked as she said, ‘whatever do you mean?’

Bracing himself, Adrien explained, ‘I mean I’d like you to stop being mean. To her, to everyone. Do you realise you have no real friends here? Even Sabrina is more of a sycophant.’

‘You’re mistaken, Adri-honey. Everybody loves me,’ she waved her hand dismissively.

‘No, they don’t. Listen, Chloe, if you don’t learn to be nicer to people, then I don’t think we can be friends anymore.’ Adrien shook his head as he looked at her sadly, regretful that it had come to this. He stood up and left, leaving Chloe on the bench as she struggled to hold back tears.

Chloe remained unusually quiet throughout the morning, and Adrien hoped she was thinking about what he’d said. Marinette and Alya were also quiet, the result of a dispute after Friday’s events. 

In the library after lunch, Adrien found Lila sequestered among the shelves at the back of the room, sitting on the floor and playing with her phone.

‘Hey. Mind if I have a word, Lila?’ he asked as he scratched the back of his neck.

Lila looked up at him with a charming smile.’You’re welcome to talk with me any time,’ she replied as she patted a spot on the floor next to her.

Nodding, Adrien muttered his thanks before sitting at a right angle to her.

‘What did you want to talk about?’ she asked with a coy smile and a tilt of her head.

Adrien took a deep breath. ‘You were pretty nasty to Marinette last week. I think you should apologise to her,’ he said as he looked her in the eye. 

She had gone completely still, then her eyebrows drew down in a sharp V. 

‘Why should I?’

‘Because the things you said were cruel. You deliberately humiliated her, unprovoked. Sorry, but I can’t be friends with a person like that.’ Adrien was quickly getting frustrated.

Lila’s face shifted into a pitying expression. ‘Oh, Adrien,’ she crooned, ‘you have no idea, do you?’

He slumped as he felt a headache coming on. ‘About what?’ he asked.

‘Rumour has it that Marinette wallpapered her bedroom with pictures of you. Even the ceiling. That’s super creepy. How well do you even know her? I bet she’s just some gross, fan girl stalker.’

‘Naturally, I’d just trust your opinion since you’re such an expert on all things Marinette,’ Adrien responded with heavy sarcasm.

Lila shrugged one shoulder. ‘Go and ask Sabrina or Mylene, then, they’ve been in her room. Better yet, talk to Alya, she’s only enabled Marinette since the beginning.’ Lila looked at Adrien with apparent concern and said, ‘I’m only trying to protect you.’

Adrien pinched the bridge of his nose, eyes shut tight. ‘Listen, I’m going to tell you what I told Chloe. Your horrible attitude isn’t winning you any friends. In fact, most people can’t stand to be around you. I suggest you stop being so mean to people, because I will not be associated with you until you learn to be a better person.’ With a headache searing his forehead, Adrien got to his feet and left Lila, fuming, behind him.

That evening, Adrien fell face first across his bed and lay there with his nose squished into his face and legs dangling off the side. His knees began to ache almost immediately.

The rest of the school day had been as quiet as the morning, but with extra awkwardness. Adding to Adrien’s headache, Caline had come for dinner again, bringing the discomfort from the classroom with her. That wasn’t fair to Caline, but Adrien felt marginally better once he was excused.

‘You did good, Kid,’ Plagg praised him as he floated over to sit on the back of Adrien’s head. ‘I’m proud of you. You told those harpies exactly what they needed to hear. Gotta say, I didn’t think you had it in ya.’

Adrien didn’t respond. He was saddened that his relationship with Chloe had become so strained. He also berated himself for losing his temper with Lila - just because he didn’t know her as well or as long as he had known Chloe was no excuse for treating her like that. He was going to have to apologise. Plus, he still hadn’t managed to talk to Marinette.

Adrien kicked off his shoes and turned off the light. They could be tomorrow’s problems.


	8. In Which Adrien Sees a Shrink

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien has more support than he realises

Tuesday morning, Adrien entered the classroom to see Alya and Marinette hugging each other tight in their seat. He smiled as he idled in the doorway, reluctant to interrupt, before deciding to just take his seat as unobtrusively as possible. They were whispering, apologising and reaffirming their friendship, Adrien guessed. He was glad they were friends again.

The rest of the class slowly drifted in, gossiping among themselves, while they waited for class to begin. Rose was happy about her ongoing correspondence with Prince Ali. Max was excited for a new upgrade. Kim was boasting about his latest athletic achievement. Adrien huffed a breath of relief. Today was going to be a normal day.

 

 

'Adrien, a word if you please,' Caline called as the other students left for lunch.

Adrien approached her desk and asked, 'yes, Madame Bustier?'

'You may recall from our parent teacher conference, your Father and I discussed the possibility of making an appointment for you with the school counsellor.'

Adrien squeezed the strap of his bag and lowered his head. He had hoped Caline had forgotten.

'The counsellor, Monsieur Durand, was on bereavement leave, but has returned and is now taking new appointments.'

Adrien looked up, meeting Caline's eyes as he tried to smile sincerely. 'Great,' he said.

Caline smiled back and continued, 'he has seen most of your classmates already.'

Adrien's eyebrows shot up, 'really?' he asked.

Caline nodded, 'yes. They needed someone to talk to after being taken over by Papillon. Monsieur Durand has even suggested group therapy sessions, but due to a combination of reluctance from the children to speak in front of others and Principal Damocles' unwillingness to allow a private space for them to meet in, it has never happened.' She shook her head sadly. 'Would you like to meet with Monsieur Durand, Adrien?' she asked.

Seeing no gracious way to back out, Adrien nodded, though his smile felt stiff and unnatural.

'Excellent,' Caline responded brightly. 'I really think this will be goo for you. Monsieur Durand specializes in adolescent psychology and has many years of experience, personal as well as professional. His office is at the end of the walkway to the right. He's expecting you,' she finished.

'Thank you, Madame Bustier,' Adrien replied, nodding to her as he left. He heard her sigh as he walked out the door.

 

 

Monsieur Durand's office was not what he had been expecting. It had light blue walls decorated with watercolour paintings, and a large window in the rear wall with sheer curtains. To the right was a desk bracketed by filing cabinets, and to the left was a sitting area. There was a bookcase next to the armchair by the window, filled with books on psychology, mindfulness and poetry. It also held a number of knick-knacks which seemed to have no other purpose than to collect dust. In front of the guest armchair was a coffee table with pamphlets, a pitcher of water and a glass. An old MP3 player on a dock sat on a side table between the guest chair and the wall. Adrien, however, could not see Monsieur Durand anywhere.

'Hello?' he called softly.

There was a loud thud and the desk jolted, followed by a muffled curse and the sound of a drawer slamming shut. A head poked up from behind the desk, light brown hair streaked with grey sticking out wildly as the man peered at Adrien.

'Hello,' he exclaimed brightly as he stood. 'You must be Monsieur Agreste. I am Joseph Durand. I'm so pleased to meet you. Glad you could make it,' he grinned as he moved from behind the desk to greet Adrien properly.

Adrien smiled sincerely in response. Monsieur Durand's easy grin and enthusiastic personality relaxed Adrien's mild anxiety as he was shown to his seat.

'Sit, sit. Are you thirsty? Help yourself whenever you need to,' Monsieur Durand babbled as he lowered himself into his own seat. He immediately stood again, mumbling about forgetting something and sifted through his desk drawers, eventually returning with a box of tissues. 'Now,' he began, 'why don't you tell me all about yourself?'

 

 

'I like that old coot,' Plagg said later that evening.

Adrien grinned, 'I like him, too.'

He had spent the entire lunch break with Monsieur Durand, talking about his life. It seemed that once he lifted the lid, all his thoughts and feelings from the last eighteen months had poured out. The grief after his mother left, his loneliness, and his need to make Gabriel happy. It all came out in an unstoppable torrent. By the end, Adrien felt drained and weary, but it had been cathartic to finally give voice to everything that had been weighing him down.

Not everything, Adrien reminded himself. His life as Chat Noir was still a secret, despite Monsieur Durand's assurance of Doctor Patient confidentiality.

Plagg curled up on Adrien's shoulder as he sat in his desk chair. 'When's your next appointment?' he enquired.

'Tomorrow. I guess he hasn't got too many patients right now,' Adrien replied.

Plagg wiggled closer to Adrien's neck saying, 'this'll be good for you, Kid. You've bottled up too much stuff already.' He began to purr.

Adrien sighed as he tilted his head toward Plagg. Today was just the beginning; they had barely touched on Adrien's issues and he suspected he would need that box of tissues tomorrow.


	9. Deep Thoughts and Friendship

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's just filler

Adrien's life settled into a pattern after that. He went to school every day, as usual, but lunch every Tuesday and Wednesday was spent with Joseph Durand. His modelling and extra curricular activities were shuffled to accommodate the addition, but Nathalie assured him there were no significant changes.

School life had calmed as well. Chloe was trying to be a better person, even if she was only doing it to please Adrien, but he saw her efforts and appreciated it, despite the occasional slip-up.

Lila had been sullen and moody since Adrien had spoken to her. She sat and glowered at anyone who approached her, even Adrien when he tried to apologise for losing his temper. However, she had not said anything nasty to anyone, so Adrien counted that as a partial win.

Adrien was bothered by his lack of success with Marinette, though. Whenever he came close to her, her eyes widened and her face went red before she fled somewhere he couldn't follow, typically home or the girls' bathroom. It was as frustrating as it was depressing.

 

 

Chat Noir and Ladybug also had a schedule. Since akuma attacks had been so few, they decided to run patrols every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday evenings with a promise to alert their partner as soon as possible if they couldn't make it. While Chat Noir missed seeing Ladybug in battle, he was always eager to meet her for patrol. He loved their camaraderie, the easy banter, and the occasional light flirtation when Ladybug felt coquettish.

He watched her now, seated atop a nondescript rooftop together overlooking their city. Chat Noir likened her to a guardian angel and wondered if altruistic love was a thing. Surely that would sum up Ladybug and her devotion to Paris, to France. She loved her city, its people, the culture and the history.

Chat Noir wondered if he were being too sentimental, too idealistic, before realising it didn't matter. His thoughts were his own.

'You're staring,' Ladybug's voice broke him out of his musings.

Chat Noir focussed to see her looking back at him from the corner of her eye, a small smile tugging at hr lips.

'Apologies, Milady,' he said as he swept into a bow, an awkward contortion in a seated figure. 'I was just thinking, that's all.'

'About what?' she asked as she turned to face him properly.

'Nothing much,' he shrugged.

Ladybug hummed a sceptical note before turning back to the view.

'Well, what were you thinking about, then?' Chat Noir asked.

'I was just wondering how many macaroons I could fit in my mouth without crushing them,' she replied.

 

 

Monday morning came around again. Adrien felt like time had sped up over the last few weeks; soon they would have exams to worry about, high schools to consider, and a future to plan for. He sighed. This was not what he signed up for when he first started attending public school.

Adrien glanced around the school courtyard as he entered, hoping to find Nino. He saw Alya and Marinette talking animatedly in the far corner. At least, Alya was lively. Marinette was holding her arms close to her chest, and her head down as she shook it vehemently.

'Adrikins,' Chloe squealed as she threw herself at him, 'guess what I've been doing.'

'Uh, shopping?' he replied as he peeled her arms from around his neck.

'No. Well, yes, that too. But guess what else,' she begged as she watched him eagerly.

With a shrug, he said, 'I don't know. What have you been doing?'

Unable to contain herself any longer, she shrieked, 'I've been helping people. Aren't you proud of me? Of course you are,' she grinned.

Laughing, Adrien asked, 'what have you been doing?'

'I've been giving people fashion advice. Take Mireille for example. That top she always wears is so shapeless and frumpy. I told her all about dressing for her body type and the advantages of a properly tailored outfit. She was thankful.'

Adrien regarded Chloe for a long moment. She was unlikely to have been tactful, but she was trying. Chloe could be harsh, but she was also often misunderstood. Adrien patted Chloe on the shoulder.

'That's a good start, and I am proud of you. Just remember to be diplomatic.'

'I was,' she protested, crossing her arms. 'Oh, there's Sabrina. I'll see you later, Adri-chou,' she kissed his cheek and sauntered off.

As he watched her go, Adrien thought it was great she was finally making an effort. As for tactfulness, she would get there eventually.


	10. Everyone's Sad

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Misunderstandings and miscommunications abound

Adrien was fidgeting through his last lesson of the day. Tomorrow was Saturday, and as much as he longed to relax, he had homework to catch up on. He also needed a break from everyone. Lila's constant glowering was fraying his nerves, Marinette was still resolutely avoiding him, and Caline had an air of blissfulness about her that made Adrien cringe. There were still rumours of Caline and Gabriel dating, but no one said anything to Adrien directly, and the only reason he was aware of the ongoing rumours was because Nino kept him informed.

Finally, the bell rang and everyone packed up and left. Adrien took his time, waving Nino on as he stalled by the door. He thought he was alone, until a quiet voice called his name. He turned to see Marinette standing awkwardly beside her desk, shifting uncomfortably and staring at her feet.

Adrien smiled expectantly, hoping to encourage her to continue. 'Yes, Marinette?' he prompted.

'Just, I. I just,' she stammered. Marinette drew in a deep breath, puffing out her cheeks and squeezing her eyes shut. 'To just your want friend really I be,' she blurted.

Adrien stared for a moment, trying to sort out her rushed and hopelessly garbled sentence.

'What?' he asked, conceding defeat.

Marinette emitted a high-pitched whine and covered her face with her schoolbag. Heaving a breath, she lowered her bag and tried again. 'I meant to say that I just really want to be your friend,' she stated slowly.

'What?' he reiterated, taken aback.

'You can say no, of course. I don't expect you to want to be friends, especially after what happened,' Marinette rushed to assure him. 'No expectations. You probably don't want anything to do with me, I won't blame you. If Lila had said those things about someone else to me, I'd be running for the hills-'

'Marinette,' Adrien interrupted. 'I thought we were friends,' he admitted.

He didn't know why she was surprised and felt hurt she hadn't thought the same of him. When she continued to look at him with a perplexed expression, he explained, 'we get along. We've always acted friendly with each other. Last year I helped you with your Uncle, and we trained for the Mecha Strike competition together. I know we don't hang out, but I've always thought of you as my friend.'

Marinette blinked rapidly for a moment, then turned away, rubbing her face. She then looked at him with a too-wide smile. 'I've always thought so, too,' she assured him. 'But we never do much outside of school. I know you're busy, much too busy to play around. I just didn't want to presume,' she finished weakly.

Adrien heaved an inward sigh of relief. He was well acquainted with Marinette's awkwardness, so it shouldn't surprise him that she'd been acting the way she had.

'You don't have to worry. I think we're friends,' he replied, though he still couldn't understand why she had to avoid him for weeks when the matter was so simply rectified.

'Friends. Great. I, um. I have to get going, lots of work to do. Homework. Bakery work. You know how it is. So, I guess I'll see you next week. Bye,' she called as she edged around him and ran out the door.

Adrien felt lighter. It was good, being back on track with Marinette. She was one of the first friends he'd made since coming to school, after Nino of course, and Ladybug, and maybe Plagg. She was in his top five. Adrien smiled as he left.

 

 

Caline cancelled a date with Gabriel on Saturday, saying she had a school project to plan, tests to grade, and a savage headache. Gabriel retreated to his office and refused anyone entry.

Adrien thought it was all for the best when an akuma struck the Champs de Elysee, toy soldiers firing real projectiles. The corrupted item was broken, and the butterfly purified quickly, to Adrien's mixed feelings of relief and disappointment. It had been so long since he'd seen Ladybug in action, but those tiny bullets had stung.

'Patrol tonight?' Chat Noir asked as she made to leave.

'You bet,' she replied as she tugged on her string.

Adrien rushed home and busied himself with schoolwork for the rest of the day, telling himself that seeing Ladybug later would be his reward. He paid little attention to what was going on outside his room, but he was dimly aware that Gabriel hadn't left his office all day.

 

'Good evening, Milady,' Chat Noir drawled as he bowed and moved to kiss Ladybug's hand.

Ladybug, however, removed her hand from his grip and pushed him back by the nose.

'Hello, Kitty,' she replied with a grin.

With a nod, a wink, and a smile they began their patrol.

They were quiet that night. While this was not unheard of, it was unusual, and the quality of the silence was off. Normally, their patrols were filled with puns and pithy quips until they were too breathless to talk. As he looked at her, Chat Noir saw Ladybug was deep in her own thoughts. She wasn't grinning as she enjoyed the rush, she hadn't laughed at his attempts at jokes. Well, she never laughed, but she always gave a reaction. Ladybug had never felt so distant before, and Chat Noir was worried.

Their patrol finished atop the Louvre. Winded, Ladybug sat and stretched her legs out in front of her, still silent. She stared at a spot between her knees and absently picked at her fingertips.

Warily, Chat Noir asked, 'Ladybug, are you doing alright?'

Without looking up, she merely hummed an affirmative note.

'Come on, Bug,' he pressed as he sat beside her. 'Tell me what's wrong.'

Immediately, her eyes welled and her knees drew up to her chest as she hugged her legs. Ladybug buried her face in her knees and sniffled as quiet sobs shook her body.

Chat Noir pulled her into an awkward hug. 'Ladybug? Talk to me, please. Tell me what's wrong,' he begged as he rubbed her back.

She shook her head before Chat Noir gently nudged her until she was sitting across his lap. She rested her head against his shoulder and wound her arms around him, resting her clenched fists against his shoulder blades.

'Please tell me what happened,' he pleaded again.

She sniffled again and murmured hoarsely, 'he rejected me.'

He didn't want to ask. 'Who rejected you?'

'The guy I like. He only sees me as a friend,' she said as she gulped in a breath.

'Oh, Bug. I'm so sorry,' he replied.

Hugging her tight, Chat Noir rested his cheek against her hair. He had first-hand experience with this particular brand of pain and really was sorry she had been hurt. But, no matter how she felt about him, he still loved her and it was painful to see her crying over a boy.

'It's not like I didn't see it coming,' she said. 'He's always been out of my league, and if the rumours are true, there's already someone he likes. I never even stood a chance.'

'What kind of idiot rejects Ladybug?' Chat Noir asked, aghast. 'Who is this other woman? There's no way she's better than you.'

Ladybug snorted. 'That's the irony of it all,' she replied bitterly. 'He loves Ladybug.'

'But you are Ladybug.'

'He doesn't know that.'

Chat Noir could have wept for her. 'Why don't you approach him as Ladybug? Then you could both have what you want,' he asked. He didn't want to play wingman for this fool, but Ladybug was suffering and her needs trumped his.

Ladybug shook her head. 'That would be like cheating. I can't just go up to him in costume and ask him out, it'd feel like I was tricking him into liking me. No, I can't do that. It's underhanded and dirty.'

'I guess I see what you mean,' he replied. Rubbing her back, he asked, 'what will you do?'

She huffed, 'what can I do? He's firmly put me in the friendzone, so I guess I just have to be happy with that. I will learn to be happy with that. I'd rather be in his life as his friend for ever than risk losing him completely.'

'You must think a great deal of him.'

'He's one of the best people I've ever met,' she admitted. 'Still stings like a bitch, though.'

'He's an idiot for not seeing you,' Chat Noir insisted with a small smile.

Ladybug gave a weak laugh. 'Thanks, Kitty. I'll see you next time,' she said as she pulled away and ran home.

Chat Noir watched her leave. He felt awful for her, and seeing her cry made his heart hurt. However, deep down, a small and selfish part of him cheered.


	11. Accidental Revelations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien has a little slip of the tongue. Nino is unimpressed.

Caline clapped her hands for attention. 'All right, class, settle down. You need to listen to this, because this will be thirty percent of your final grade.'

There was a stunned gasp and mutinous grumbles from the students.

'Exactly. So,' Caline continued, 'for your history assignment, you'll split yourselves into groups of three or four. Then, you'll choose a topic we have covered in class and put together a presentation, with slides, pictures, and hand-outs. Extra points will be awarded to those who put in the effort to be creative.

'This is an opportunity to let your imaginations loose, so don't hold back. You'll have until next Monday, so I suggest you do all your planning during the week and really knuckle down over the weekend. Good luck and I'll see you tomorrow.'

Nino turned to Adrien with a raised fist. 'Want to be in a group with me?'

'As if you had to ask,' Adrien replied as they bumped fists.

Nino was about to speak again, when Alya leaned over her desk. 'Hey guys, wanna be in a group with Marinette and me?'

Adrien turned to look at them. Alya was still leaning precariously over her desk while Marinette sat stiff and upright.

'Is that ok with you?' he asked her.

Marinette's eyes widened, 'oh, yes. Fine. That's fine. Absolutely,' she replied.

'Great,' Alya cheered. 'How about, every day after school, we meet at Marinette's place?'

'Why my place?'

'Because space and free snacks,' Nino explained.

'Also, you don't have any annoying siblings,' Alya added.

'Or crazy, over-protective dads,' Nino finished.

Adrien wanted to be offended on Gabriel's behalf, but Nino had a point. He settled with sending Nino a reproachful look.

Marinette sighed, 'fine. We can meet at my place.'

Alya and Nino cheered as Adrien's phone buzzed. Looking at it, he cringed.

'I hate to be that guy, but I've got to go. I'll try to get out of whatever else I have scheduled this week, to help you properly. I'm sure Madame Bustier will talk with Father to help me get out of it. In the meantime, keep me updated. See you tomorrow.'

Adrien shoved his belongings in his bag, waved, and ran outside. It wasn't until he was almost home that he realised what he'd said.

'Crap.'

 

 

'Dude,' Nino greeted him with a flat expression.

Adrien cringed and rubbed the back of his neck, 'sorry.'

Nino sighed as his shoulders slumped. 'So, I guess it's true, then.'

'Yeah,' Adrien replied with a wince.

'How long?'

'Since the parent teacher conference.'

Nino's eyebrows shot up, 'That long? How's that been going for you?'

Adrien let his head fall back with a long-suffering groan.

'That well, huh?' Nino chuckled. 'Well, considering the circumstances, and the fact that you've suffered enough, I'm not mad.'

'Really?'

'Nah, I can't stay mad at my best bro. I wish you had told me the truth, but I get it. Kim and his favouritism crap, and that whole Marinette and Lila debacle.' Nino shook his head.

'Thanks, man.'

As they bumped fists, Adrien felt bad he had forgotten to tell Nino the truth about Gabriel and Caline. He had been so concerned about being teased and preventing the rest of the student body from finding out, he realised he'd never actually confirmed or denied the allegations.

So far, he had only talked to the counsellor, Joseph Durand, about Gabriel's and Caline's relationship. Adrien figured that after talking to Joseph, his need to vent was filled, so it was no wonder he'd forgotten to tell Nino.

Making a valiant effort to shrug off his guilt, Adrien asked, 'So, did you make any progress on the history presentation?'

Nino filled him in as they went to class.


	12. The Project

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We're now up to date with my AFF account

The rest of the week passed without incident. Adrien convinced Nathalie to move his schedule so he could contribute to the presentation properly. Although, he suspected Caline had had a quiet word with Gabriel who then had a not-so-subtle talk with Nathalie.

Lunchtimes Tuesday and Wednesday he had with Joseph, but after school he was free to join Nino, Alya, and Marinette at the bakery where they decided to present on the Viking invasion of France in 845 AD.

Thursday and Friday, his lunch time was spent in the library with the others, gathering resources and brainstorming ways to make it creative. Marinette offered to make costumes, to their delight, while Nino's suggestion to put it in song was unanimously shot down. Annoyed by his whining, they compromised and agreed he could make a musical accompaniment. Alya was particularly interested in the siege of Paris and said they could make replica weapons the class could hold and pass around. Adrien couldn't think of anything creative, so he focussed on research and offered to make the PowerPoint slides. They then agreed to meet at Marinette's place on Saturday morning to begin the laborious task of fittings, constructing the props and collating their information.

 

When Saturday arrived, Adrien was late. Plagg had turned off his alarm citing that weekends were for sleep.

'Not when you have a presentation that counts for thirty percent of your grade,' Adrien hissed.

He left the house with a hollered farewell, hastily stuffed bag strangling him, and loose pages floating in his wake.

Gabriel and Caline stared after him before returning to their breakfast.

Adrien entered the bakery and was greeted by Sabine.

'Sorry I'm late. My alarm didn't go off,' he apologised as he gave his bag a spiteful squeeze.

'I wouldn't worry, dear, I don't think they've gotten very far yet. Could you take these up with you?' she asked, handing him a tray of pastries.

He nodded and took it upstairs. The sound of his friends' laughter could be heard from the second landing and Adrien grinned in anticipation. He followed the sounds up to Marinette's room where he saw Nino and Alya pumping their fists as they cheered Marinette on. She was seated at her desk, her back to him, as she fiddled with something.

Sliding the tray onto one of Marinette's storage chests, he asked, 'what's going on?'

'Marinette's trying to see how many macaroons she can fit in her mouth without squashing them,' Alya cackled. 'She's up to four already.'

Adrien paused, staring.

'Tuck it in your cheek,' Nino advised as Marinette picked up her fifth macaroon.

'You look ridiculous,' laughed Adrien when she turned to glare at Nino.

Marinette turned to him, mouth wide open and filled with macaroons, one cheek bulging. Her face turned red and she let out a muffled shriek, spraying chunks into the air.

'Sorry,' she choked. Swallowing what was left, she repeated, 'sorry. I didn't hear you come in. You surprised me.'

'No, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you.'

'How about you apologise to the rest of us,' Nino grumbled, eyeing the mess on the floor. 'You nearly got me.'

'Sorry, sorry, sorry,' Marinette begged, hands raised in a placating gesture. 'Let me get something to clean this up, then we can get started.'

Things went smoothly after that. Marinette had them try on their costumes - Nino and Alya as the invaders, Adrien as King Charles, and Marinette as a noblewoman.

'I think I object to playing the part of someone called Charles the Bald,' Adrien complained.

'You could wear a bald cap,' Alya suggested gleefully.

'No.'

'Aww, come on. It'll be funny.'

'He wasn't even bald.'

Nino played a mix he thought fitted the theme, making a note to add "big drums" when Alya said it needed to be more dramatic.

Adrien showed them the slides he'd been working on, backgrounds and fonts he thought looked appropriate, while Alya pulled out her Styrofoam swords and model siege towers. Together, they sifted through their information, pulling the most interesting facts out first, and practised reading aloud.

Finally, they had to stop for the day. The sun had lowered and Adrien's phone had been buzzing for the last ten minutes. He arrived home for dinner with Gabriel and Caline who both smiled and asked about his day. He played coy, hoping to surprise Caline on Monday. He was pleased with the level of productiveness he and his friends had shown, and still had patrol with Ladybug to look forward to.

 

Looking at her as he approached, Chat Noir couldn't help but notice the similarities between Ladybug and Marinette. Dark hair in pigtails, blue eyes, a penchant for stuffing macaroons in their mouths. Ladybug waved before greeting him with a quick hug. He squeezed her back, dismissing his earlier thoughts as purely fanciful.

 

 

Marinette had been practicing her part since Saturday afternoon and still sounded stilted and unsure. Adrien winced in sympathy, but Marinette caught the expression.

'I know I sound unnatural. I'm trying my best,' she said, crossing her arms and frowning.

'I'm not criticising you, I swear. Just take a deep breath and continue to breathe. You'll do great.'

Their class was going to make their presentations in first period, so last-minute practise in the library was a popular option.

'Yeah, Girl, just chill out. It's only us and a few other dorks,' Alya added.

They all chuckled as the bell rang and separated to go and change into their costumes. They met again in the classroom where they were met enthusiastically by the rest of the class.

'Adrikins, you look darling,' twittered Chloe as she circled him

'Thanks, Chlo. Marinette made our costumes; they turned out great, didn't they?'

'Yeah,' Chloe replied, one eye twitching. 'Really great.'

They took their seats and waited for Caline. When she arrived, they began their presentations without preamble. The groups were called, and one by one, made their presentations. They all performed well, even Marinette only stuttered a little at the beginning of her section. She rallied after that initial stammer to give a speech that would have made Ladybug proud. Caline applauded them all, praising them by saying they had all exceeded her expectations. Adrien, however, thought his group had out-performed them all.


	13. Awkward Conversations Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien hears things.

Adrien came down to breakfast to see Gabriel and Caline already seated. He came in and sat as the household staff brought in their food and laid it out.

'Good morning, Adrien,' greeted Caline, brightly.

'Good morning, Madame Bustier,' he replied.

'I trust you slept well,' Gabriel added as he cut his omelette into bite size pieces.

'I did, thank you. I hope you did too,' Adrien returned.

Nodding, Gabriel said, 'yes, quite well.'

Caline nudged Gabriel's elbow with a pointed look toward Adrien. Gabriel sighed and put his utensils down.

'It has been brought to my attention that I have been remiss in some basic courtesies in regards to your opinion on recent development,' Gabriel told him.

Adrien stared, holding his utensils above his meal.

Gabriel coughed delicately into his hand. 'I have not spoken with you about Caline's and my relationship and how it may be affecting you, or whether you even approve. I would like to know what you think and how you feel about this.'

'Oh,' he replied, 'well, honestly?'

'Yes, honestly,' Gabriel said with a wry twist on his lips. Caline nodded, encouragingly.

'I'm happy for you,' Adrien shrugged.

They both looked surprised before Gabriel asked, 'you are?'

'Of course, I am,' Adrien replied. 'I mean, school has been a bit weird, but so long as you both agree to keep school and home separate, then I don't see an issue.'

'That's very mature of you, Adrien,' Caline praised.

'We would never allow our relationship to influence your schooling, just as we would never let schoolyard drama affect our home life,' Gabriel told him.

'Thank you. So, when will you be moving in, Madame Bustier?' Adrien asked with a cheeky grin.

Gabriel and Caline sputtered and choked, avoiding eye contact and left Adrien's teasing question unanswered.

They finished their meal, then Caline and Adrien had to leave for school. Adrien had a moment of concern when Caline got into the car with him, but then decided it was time his classmates knew about the relationship. He didn't want to lie about it anymore, and since Gabriel had agreed not to interfere with the classroom, Adrien couldn't foresee any major issues. If he were teased, he'd take it with dignity and prove he wouldn't take advantage of his situation.

People stared as Caline exited his car. Adrien kept his head up and met the eyes of anyone who looked like they were going to say something. No one kept his eyes for long, and he made his way inside, unharrassed.

There were murmurs throughout the morning, barely heard whispers behind doors and around corners. Adrien ignored them all, determined to prove he was the same person he'd always been. Focussed and studious, good grades reflective of his attention in class rather than the connection between his father and his teacher.

 

 

'Ok, Man. Tell your best bud what's going on,' Nino demanded as he slung an arm over Adrien's shoulders.

They had been let out for lunch and were walking toward a café down the road popular at their school.

'About what?' Adrien asked with a teasing smirk.

'First of all, you're not smooth. At all,' Nino told him with a flat expression. 'Tell me why your dad has suddenly allowed you to walk around without your bodyguard. Why you're allowed out on the streets at all. Why did Madame Bustier get out of your car this morning?' he finished, heaving a breath.

'Well, Nino,' Adrien said. 'There's a very simple answer to all of those questions.'

'Which is?' Nino prompted when Adrien didn't elaborate.

'Madame Bustier told him to.'

Nino looked stunned for a moment, before laughing hysterically. 'Your dad is so whipped,' he cackled, bent over and gasping for breath.

Adrien heaved a sigh. 'He was always weak to the woman he likes.'

Nino patted his shoulder as they entered the café. They found seats near the rear wall and placed their orders with the harried waitress. Nino excused himself to the restroom, so Adrien relaxed in his seat, taking in the atmosphere and surrounding conversations.

'Of course, I'm not over him,' a quiet, yet familiar, voice behind him said. 'Feelings aren't like a light switch you can turn on or off at will.'

Another familiar voice replied, 'but you took down all the pictures, right?'

'Yes, they're down. I couldn't look at them anymore. They made my crush seem superficial and creepy.'

There was a moment of silence between the two.

'Come on, let's get out of here,' the other voice said.

Their chairs scraped against the floor, footsteps quickly drowned out by the surrounding noise. Adrien swallowed, unsure how to feel.

'Hey, was that Alya and Marinette leaving just now?' Nino had returned from the restroom.

'Yeah, I guess they had the idea to come here, too,' Adrien replied with a tight smile.

'We should've left earlier,' Nino moaned. 'We could have eaten with them.'

Adrien forced an answering grin before falling into a regular conversation as they waited for their meal.


	14. The Day Adrien Saw Too Much

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien sees things

Adrien's focus drifted away from Madame Mendeleiev's lecture and wandered back to Marinette's and Alya's whispered conversation. He didn't know what to do - Marinette's crush had been confirmed by Alya, then Marinette said she just wanted to be friends. He should have addressed the issue when they'd had that conversation, but he was just too relieved she was talking to him again, he didn't think of mentioning it.

He supposed Marinette knew he wasn't interested in her romantically, or she would have told him something other than she wanted to just be friends. Adrien felt bad for her. He knew the pain of unrequited love, so he couldn't hold her actions against her. He knew as well as anyone that a person can't help how they feel.

He sighed inwardly and thought he would have to speak with her directly, to turn her down properly so she could have the closure she needed to move on.

He tried to talk to her after school, but a sudden explosion in the distance, quickly followed by the sound of sirens, thwarted his plans. Ducking between a poster bollard and a tree, he transformed and headed toward the commotion.

 

It was an akuma, though an easily defeated one. Ladybug bumped her fist against Chat Noir's before swinging away, claiming she had left an important engagement prior to the attack. Chat Noir nodded and waved farewell, thinking that she had looked a little sad today.

Detransforming in the Metro, Adrien fed a grumpy Plagg, and thought about Marinette. She looked a little sad, too, though she hid it well. It was only when she thought no one could see did she allow her smile to drop. Guilt churned his stomach, he didn't want to make Marinette any sadder than she already was.

Adrien bit his lip and told himself to be a man. He owed it to Marinette, to Ladybug, and to himself to tell her how he felt. He walked the streets, Plagg sleeping in his bag, rehearsing what he would say to her.

'Good afternoon, Marinette. Would you join me for a coffee, please? No, I sound like one of Father's business partners asking someone on a date. Hey, Marinette. Could I speak with you for a moment? No, that sounds like she's in trouble.'

Adrien was distracted by the sight of Ladybug descending from the rooftops across the road. He watched as she snuck behind a car and was surprised by a flash of pink light before she walked, detransformed, in the opposite direction.

'Marinette?'

 

 

Adrien hadn't slept and it showed. Gabriel took one look at him at breakfast, sighed, and emailed Nathalie to postpone his shoot.

'After the day we had yesterday, what's one more delay?' he asked in a resigned tone.

At school, Nino's eyes widened before he asked, 'Dude, are you ok?'

Adrien attempted a reassuring smile, but quickly gave up. 'Yeah, just a rough night,' he dismissed.

Nino didn't mention it again, to Adrien's relief.

All day, all Adrien could think about were the things he had been going to say to Marinette. It made him want to slam his head against his desk. He felt like the worst kind of idiot. Guilt gnawed at him - how could he claim to love Ladybug when he didn't even recognise her civilian face, then tell her he was rejecting her for her? Realisation struck him then, hard and merciless. Marinette's crush on him, then how Ladybug had been crying over a boy.

'Oh, no. What have I done?' he moaned quietly.

 

Keenly aware of Marinette's presence behind him all day had exhausted Adrien. Once he got home, he flopped onto his couch and lay there, hoping for the sweet oblivion of sleep. It was elusive, however, as Adrien's thoughts hounded him.

'Plagg,' he wailed pitifully, 'help me.'

Plagg floated over and hovered above his face. 'Isn't that what the shrink is for?' he asked.

'Not when it comes to superhero identities.'

'Fine. What's eating you?' Plagg settled on his stomach, his pose imitating Joseph's.

'I've always thought I loved Ladybug,' Adrien began. 'I thought it was absolute and unconditional. I've always thought I loved the girl under the mask, too, just as much.' Adrien took a deep, shuddering breath to steady himself.

'So, you don't like her now?' Plagg asked.

'I don't know,' Adrien exclaimed. 'I don't know Marinette at all. How can I say I love Ladybug when I don't know the other side of her? I like her as a friend, she's sweet, cute, and bold. She loves fashion, the colour pink, and her friends and family. But that's not enough to love someone

'I know Ladybug. She's brave, selfless, quick-witted, and she loves this city. I know what she'll do in any given situation. I can see how she thinks, I know her every nuance. How did I not know her?'

Plagg moved to curl up under Adrien's chin. 'Seems to me you just need to get to know Miss Pigtails,' he suggested.

'It's not that simple,' Adrien argued softly. 'I like half of her; she only likes half of me. She wanted to keep our identities private, now I know who she is.

'I still love Ladybug, but I just feel like it's all superficial now. I was going to turn Marinette down. For her.'

'Wasn't her love just as shallow?' Plagg asked.

'I suppose it was, but I can't be angry with her for it, that would be hypocritical. We've both made the same mistake, falling for one aspect of each other.'

'Yeah, you were both stupid,' Plagg agreed. 'But the solution is simple. Get to know her. Spend time with her as Marinette and Adrien, reach out and talk with her. The better you get to know her, the easier it'll be to figure out your feelings.

'Take your time, too, this isn't a race. Let a friendship grow organically, you don't want to scare her away by suddenly being around her every waking moment. If, later on, you realise you still love her, then you should tell her that.'

Adrien nodded along, glad for some practical advice. 'Wait,' he said as a thought came to him. 'What do I say to Ladybug about knowing who she is?'

'Firstly, stop thinking of them as two separate entities. Secondly, honesty is always the best policy. Imagine how she's react if she found out you had kept your knowledge of her identity from her.

'She won't like that you found out, but so long as you don't go and flirt with her as Chat Noir all the time, and promise to never use her real name in suit, she'll deal with it.'

Adrien grimaced, not liking that solution. However, lying to her was even less appealing. Reaching a decision, he said, 'right. Get to know Marinette, and tell Ladybug I accidentally saw her transform.'

Satisfied with his loose plan, Adrien got up to get ready for bed.


	15. Operation is A Go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien attempts to befriend Marinette.

The following morning, Adrien exited the car with Caline. They still garnered a lot of attention, but there was less judgement compared to the last couple of days. He still hadn't told most of his classmates anything substantial as it wasn't any of their business, but if someone were to come and ask him directly, he would tell them the truth of Gabriel's and Madame Bustier's relationship.

A bright laugh drew his attention to the school doors. Marinette was standing to the left of the entrance with Alya, Mylene, Rose, and Juleka. Adrien gaped for a moment before remembering he had a plan to act on - Operation Get to Know Marinette was a go.

Adrien made to go up the stairs, but his toe caught on the riser of the first step. Adrien tipped forward, arms windmilling wildly, before he fell forward, bashing his knees painfully and scraping his hands on the concrete. His bag spilled his books on the ground, across what Adrien thought was an unreasonable distance. He blushed when he noticed everyone staring, including Marinette.

'Dude, you ok?' called Nino from behind him.

Adrien sighed and began gathering his belongings, accepting the books Nino had retrieved for him. 'Yeah, nothing broken,' he replied.

'That was a pretty spectacular wipe-out. You need anything patched up?' Nino asked as Adrien faced forward and headed for his locker.

'Nah, the only thing hurt was my pride,' Adrien reassured him with a self-deprecating grin.

'Ok, Man. If you're sure,' Nino said as he reached his own locker.

Adrien then spent the next fifteen minutes before class talking to Kim, Max, and Alix about Gabriel's and Caline's connection and assuring them he wouldn't become the "New Chloe". He would have preferred to talk to Marinette, but couldn't think of a way to politely excuse himself from the conversation.

During class, he divided his concentration between Caline and Marinette. As much as he tried to focus on the lecture, Marinette's subtle shifting in her seat caught his attention and kept it. By the time the lunch bell rang, Adrien was certain he'd only caught half the lesson. He would have to ask Nino for his notes later.

'Hey, guys,' Alya's voice intruded on his thoughts. 'Want to have lunch with us?' she asked, indicating Marinette and herself.

'I'm always happy to eat lunch with my favourite girl,' Nino answered as he rested his elbows on her desk.

Alya grinned at him, then turned to Adrien. 'What about you, Sunshine?'

Marinette also smiled at him as she awaited his answer.

'Guh bub,' Adrien slammed his mouth shut, face burning.

They all stared at him in puzzlement. Adrien nodded and picked up his bag, gesturing for them to do likewise. Alya, Marinette, and Nino gathered their wits and their things before leaving the building.

Once outside, Alya threw Adrien a smirk before attaching herself to Nino's arm and leading him away, leaving Adrien to walk with Marinette.

'So,' she began, swinging her arms. 'Alya and Nino appear to be going strong.'

Glad for the safe topic, but afraid of spouting more gibberish, Adrien responded with a succinct 'yup.'

'I'm glad they found one another,' Marinette continued. 'They've been good for each other.'

'Really good,' Adrien agreed with a shaky grin.

'Nino calms down Alya's more boisterous personality traits, while Alya seems to help Nino come out of his shell.'

'Complimentary,' Adrien put in.

'Exactly,' Marinette said enthusiastically, her swinging hand brushing against his.

'Hng fwah,' squeaked Adrien.

He wanted to kick himself. Adrien looked hopelessly at her while she gazed at him in confusion. Heaving a sigh, he tilted his head toward Nino and Alya who had moved a considerable distance ahead of them.

'You're right, we'd better catch up,' she agreed.

Silently, Adrien thanked her for moving past his stammering without comment. Unfortunately, the rest of his lunch break followed a similar pattern, as he squeaked or spoke nonsense whenever Marinette so much as smiled at him. He quickly grew frustrated with himself. This was not how Operation Get to Know Marinette was supposed to go.

 

 

Adrien thought back on his day mournfully. He had no opportunity to speak with Marinette alone all day, and when he did talk to her, he either tripped, stammered unintelligibly, or squeaked at an embarrassingly high pitch before clamming up completely. He didn't know why he was reacting like this, but he was certain she was put off by it. She was just too polite to say anything.

'So you had a bad day. There'll be others,' Plagg consoled him. 'Oh, don't forget you have patrol with Ladybug tonight.'

Adrien groaned, letting his head fall back against the couch.

'Remember, you have to tell her you discovered her identity,' Plagg continued.

Adrien groaned louder and threw his arm over his eyes.

Plagg floated above Adrien's face before allowing himself to drop, bellyflopping across Adrien's nose.

'Ugh, you stink,' Adrien complained as he peeled Plagg off of him.

'I do not,' Plagg retorted indignantly. 'I smell like my love,' he added in a dreamy tone.

'Still gross,' Adrien said as he sat upright and glared at Plagg.

'Pfft. You're just jealous you can't bunt against your love.'

As Plagg settled on the headrest, Adrien asked, 'bunt?'

'When cats rub their faces, heads, or bodies on things to scent mark them. It's called bunting.'

'Huh.'

'You're a hopeless excuse for a cat.'

Adrien arched an eyebrow. 'In case you haven't noticed, I'm a human.'

'Maybe on the outside. Inside, you're cat.'

'Adrien? It's time for your piano lesson,' Nathalie called through the door.

Giving Plagg an odd look, Adrien gathered his sheet music. Despite his strange day, he still had things to do. He'd think about Plagg's cryptic comment later.


	16. Ladybug Has Trust Issues

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time they had the Talk  
> And Plagg is a little shit

Chat Noir pogoed through the city, thinking about what he was going to say to Ladybug. He promised himself he'd be honest and that he would tell her tonight, nerves notwithstanding. He knew she wouldn't be pleased, but Plagg had raised a good point when he said she would be more mad if he kept this from her. Dread and anticipation warred within him. Even knowing she was about to be upset with him, Chat Noir still felt cautiously optimistic.

He saw her waiting for him atop City Hall. Not an ideal place to have this conversation, but hopefully he could lead her somewhere they were less likely to be overheard.

'Good evening, Chaton,' she said when he landed before her.

Chat Noir's foot snagged on his staff, the flirtatious greeting he prepared lost as he tried to prevent himself from shrieking and falling over.

Smiling, Ladybug asked, 'got your own tongue, Kitty?'

A shrill whine escaped him as she raised an eyebrow and cocked her hip, still smiling.

Suddenly, guilt slammed the wind out of him. This was the woman he loved, no matter what side of the mask she was on. She was his partner and his dearest friend; she trusted him in a way she would never be able to with anyone else, and vice versa. He had to say it now.

'Know you are, so I who really I'm sorry,' he blurted with his eyes shut tight.

The following silence dragged on too long. He squinted at her with his shoulders drawn up and tense, fists curled in front of his chest as he tried to gauge her reaction. She was staring at him, head tilted and one brow raised inquisitively.

'I'm sorry. What was that?'

Chat Noir thought back on what he'd said. Realising it had come out thoroughly garbled, he blushed and took a deep breath.

Slowly, he said, 'I'm so sorry, Milady. I accidentally found out who you are.'

He cringed through another drawn out silence, heart racing.

Finally, she asked quietly, 'how?'

Chat Noir gulped. 'I saw you detransform after the last akuma.'

Nodding, she then asked, 'did anyone else?' she trailed off.

'No,' Chat Noir shook his head. 'There was no one else around. No one saw.'

Ladybug nodded again. 'We still have patrol,' she said before turning around and running off.

Chat Noir moaned despairingly before running after her.

Patrol was tense. Ladybug stayed just far enough away he would have to raise his voice to talk to her. He didn't press her, though, knowing she could react badly if he pressured her to talk before she was ready.

After two hours of running, Ladybug halted on top of a business building and waited for him. He landed far enough away to give her an out if she needed it, then slowly approached her.

Ladybug took a deep breath and shook her arms. With a calm detachment, she said, 'you know who I am.'

'Yes.'

'have you told anyone?'

'No.'

'Do you plan on telling anyone?'

'Of course not. Come on, LB. Give me some credit.'

Turning away, she mumbled an apology.

Chat Noir sighed and placed a hand on her shoulder. 'I know this isn't what you wanted, and I am so sorry. I know you just want us to be safe, and I promise we will be. I won't come and bother you at home and I won't use your real name when we're in uniform.'

When she continued to look unconvinced, he offered, 'if you want to level the playing field, I can tell you who I am.'

'No,' she interrupted, firmly. 'This is a big enough risk.'

'You can trust me, Ladybug,' he told her plaintively.

'I know that, but what if you forget and call my name in the heat of a battle? What if you're hit by a mind-reading akuma, or one who makes you speak only the truth? What if you're overtaken by Papillon and he hears your thoughts?'

Ladybug's earrings beeped, loud and insistent, before her transformation fell.

'Tikki,' Marinette gasped, sounding equal parts worried and reprimanding.

'Sorry, Marinette,' Tikki apologised as she settled in Marinette's hands. 'But you seem to be working under the misconception that Papillon is telepathic.'

'You mean he's not?' Chat Noir asked as he stared at Tikki. 'You're adorable,' he added.

'What do you mean, not telepathic?' Marinette asked as Tikki waved a greeting to Chat Noir.

'When Papillon finds a new victim, he doesn't hear their thoughts. He finds them by feeling their emotions and following that wavelength - he's an empath, not a telepath,' she explained. 'Even while controlling them, he can't access their thoughts. Haven't you ever thought it was weird how his akumas spoke aloud when communicating with him? Papillon can only know what they see, speak and hear. Their thoughts are still their own.'

'That actually makes a lot of sense,' Chat Noir said, thoughtfully.

'That's no reason to be complacent,' Marinette argued,

'It's not,' Tikki agreed, 'but you need to be aware of Papillon's limitations, too. Remember Jackady, Princess Fragrance, and Puppeteer? They could control their victims, but Papillon, himself, could not. If an akuma controls one of you again, you would only do what the akuma told you to. It would take very specific instructions for you to reveal anything under those conditions.'

'But,' Marinette began.

Tikki held up an arm. 'Even if Papillon did create a telepathic akuma, he would still have to hear the akuma say your name out loud. Anyway, the chances of him making such an akuma is slim to nil. I don't think you need to worry about that.'

'But what about a truth akuma, or if Chat or I were overtaken directly?' Marinette insisted.

'The odds of a truth akuma are slim, and even if one were created, there's no guarantee it will ask about your identities. Papillon is not that subtle. There are also ways to avoid being possessed, but since you're naturally optimistic, you're at no risk, Marinette. Chat Noir also needn't worry, as he is too used to disappointment to show up on Papillon's radar.'

Marinette and Chat Noir both spluttered in disbelief.

'Do you know who I am?' Chat Noir asked in amazement.

Letting out a tiny snort, Tikki replied, 'of course. I can sense it.'

Clearly waving that topic aside for later, Marinette said, 'I still don't think we should let our guard down.'

'No one's saying we should, Buginette,' he grinned at his word play. 'We'll still be as careful as possible. I'll only call you Ladybug when we're in costume, and I'll use your real name as a civilian,' he winked at her.

Marinette sighed and rolled her eyes. 'I'm still not happy about this. I hope you know that if you let anything slip, I'll use you for cat gut.'

'I know, I promise I won't let anything happen,' Chat Noir replied as he swept into a bow.

Marinette looked at him from the corner of her eye. 'Ok, Tikki. Transform me.'

'Ladybug,' Chat Noir called as she moved away.

Turning back, she raised an eyebrow in silent question.

'I'm glad it's you,' he told her, suddenly feeling shy.

She looked surprised for a moment, before a smile slowly spread across her face. 'Thanks, Kitty.'

They separated and went home, Adrien dropping his transformation as soon as his feet touched the floor.

'That could have gone a lot worse,' Plagg said.

Adrien hummed a response, too emotionally drained for actual speech.

He prepared for bed, sighing happily. It had been a tense evening, but he was sure things were going to be fine.

'Wait a second! You've known who she is this whole time!'

Plagg snickered in the darkness.


	17. Happier Days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things develop. It's the beginning of the end!

The next few days passed without any major incidents. The class was given homework on Friday, Adrien had a photoshoot on Saturday, and a patrol that night.

Chat Noir and Ladybug greeted each other with varying degrees of enthusiasm, to Chat Noir's dismay, but he let it slide as they ran and jumped across the city. He knew Ladybug's concerns and how she was probably screaming internally throughout the patrol. Chat Noir kept things amicable, even through Ladybug's stiff formality. He was grateful when they finished patrol and he hadn't fallen over once.

Sunday was spent doing the homework he'd received on Friday and on Monday, Adrien embarrassed himself in front of Marinette seven times before lunch.

Lunchtime on Tuesday, Adrien was back in Joseph's office.

'I don't think I'm too used to disappointment,' Adrien huffed as he crossed his arms. Tikki's words had plagued him since she said that, and Adrien was desperate to refute them.

'I don't think anyone ever gets used to disappointment. Where did this come from?' Joseph asked.

Adrien shrugged. 'Some friends and I were talking about akumas and what causes them. It was pointed out that I've never been akumatised and someone theorised that I was too used to being let down so, maybe, my emotional state can't be picked up on by Papillon.'

Joseph nodded and tapped his lip with his pen. Unfortunately, it was the nib, so Joseph unwittingly spotted his upper lip with ink.

'I see what you mean. However, I don't think it's entirely accurate.'

'Really?' Adrien looked at him in surprise.

Nodding again, Joseph explained, 'it's true you have been let down more than is fair. But I think it's your ability to forgive that had spared you from Papillon's attention.'

Adrien slumped back in his seat, eyes wide.

Joseph continued, 'many of Papillon's victims had a grudge to settle. They were unable to get past their anger, so they were transformed.

'You're not the type of person to hold on to his anger. Rather, you look beyond it, understand the reasons why you may have been let down, and then you move on. There are simply no negative emotions for Papillon to latch on to. I'm actually very proud of you for that. It takes great maturity to be able to see why someone has disappointed you, and then be able to forgive them for it.'

Adrien left his appointment feeling much lighter. He had been hoping Tikki was wrong, and hearing that from Joseph was validating and a relief. He couldn't blame Tikki for her assumptions, though. It was widely known that Gabriel could be cold and distant, and Tikki didn't know Adrien well enough apart from what she'd heard in rumour.

Adrien chuckled quietly. After that moment, Adrien had been too emotionally overwhelmed to tell Joseph he still had ink on his face. Hopefully, Joseph will look at a mirror before his next appointment.

 

* * *

 

'Is it just me, or is Papillon not even trying anymore?' Ladybug asked after patrol that night.

Chat Noir turned to her with a grin, pleased she was willing to make small talk. 'Maybe he's realised we're just too awesome.'

'I doubt that. I have to admit, this quiet has me suspicious. What if he's trying to lure us into a false sense of security before he unleashes his major attack?'

'Come on, LB,' Chat Noir said as he slung an arm around her shoulders. 'You should know by now that we can handle anything Butterfree throws at us.'

Ladybug smirked. 'Well, you're right about that.'

As he vaulted home, Adrien wondered how it was that he could be so smooth with her as Chat Noir, but when he was Adrien, he turned into a stammering clumsy mess. It was frustrating.

 

* * *

 

Sunday night, Adrien came down to dinner late. With exams fast approaching, every spare moment went into homework and studying. Adrien had lost himself in science, only realising he was late for dinner when his stomach, and Plagg, grumbled simultaneously. So, he poked a wedge of cheese into Plagg's mouth before leaving to satiate the other unhappy beast.

The entry hall was dimly lit, but Adrien didn't think on it. His mind was busy whirling with maths, physics, and food. He pushed open the dining room door to see the room was illuminated by clusters of candles on the table. Adrien's gaze drifted across the room in momentary confusion until they landed on Gabriel and Caline.

Gabriel sat, stunned, in his seat while Caline knelt in front of him, holding up a small box. Nestled inside was a gold ring with a single diamond embedded in the top.

Adrien backed silently out of the room. He could eat in the kitchen.

 

 

When Adrien entered the dining room for breakfast the following morning, it was to see two huge grins. 'Good morning, Father. Madame Bustier.'

'Good morning, Adrien,' Caline replied.

'Good morning, Son,' added Gabriel.

Adrien's eyes darted between them as he took his seat. Their smiles had a smug, knowing look, as if they were both very satisfied with something.

He looked to Gabriel. 'So, I'm gonna be your Best Man, right?'

Adrien had never seen grins turn to choked coughing so fast.

He sat through their lecture on maintaining secrecy with good grace. He respected their desire to keep this to themselves for a little while longer. If he were to be honest, he envied Gabriel and Caline a little bit. Then, he scolded himself for such a selfish thought. Certainly, he didn't begrudge them their happiness, and he wouldn't want them to be caught in the same limbo he was.

As he and Caline left for school, Adrien thought about what it would be like to marry Marinette. She would want to design and make her own dress. Their house would be pink. They would adopt a cat or five.

Caught up in his fantasies, Adrien moved automatically when the car pulled up at the school. He was still drifting on the clouds of whimsy when he entered the classroom and saw Marinette, gossiping excitedly with the other girls. Then, she turned to him and smiled.

Adrien dropped his bag to wave and smile back. As he took another step forward, his foot caught on the strap. His other foot stumbled over the body of the bag and Adrien pitched forward with an undignified yelp. His chin collided with his desk on the way down, causing Adrien to bite hi tongue while flipping him around so he landed on his back.

The entire class let out an _oooh_ of sympathy, and winced at the sound of impact. As he sat up rubbing his chin, the laughter began.

'Awesome wipeout, Man,' Kim teased.

'Come on, guys, this isn't funny. He could be seriously hurt,' Marinette said with concern.

Adrien smiled at her gratefully. He tried to tell her he was fine, but his words came out so garbled, even he wasn't sure what he'd said.

'Shh, don't try to talk,' Marinette told him as her hands fluttered about uselessly. 'You hit your chin pretty bad. Try not to move your mouth until the nurse can take a look.'

Adrien let his tongue poke out and Marinette winced when she saw it.

'Ok, no talking at all until that looks better.'

Marinette helped him to his feet and picked up his bag. She then supported him by the arm until they reached the nurse's office, then explained how he'd hurt himself. After a quick examination, the nurse proclaimed him well enough to attend class. Marinette tried to argue for a cold compress at least, but the nurse was adamant it was just a bump. As Marinette helped him back to class, he tried to thank her, but his tongue felt like it had swollen three times its usual size. He stopped trying to talk when he suspected he began to drool.

'All right, Mister, no more talking. We have class now,' Marinette mock scolded him. They re-entered class and took their seats with decorum this time.

 

* * *

 

That afternoon, Adrien came home with a veritable mountain of homework, a bruised chin, and a still slightly swollen tongue. The physical pain had subsided, but Plagg still cackled at Adrien's attempts to look suave in front of Marinette after his fall. Speech had been impossible all morning with an aching jaw and painful tongue, so, no matter what he tried, he just looked like an idiot. His condition had improved later in the day, but his dignity still suffered.

Plagg suddenly stopped laughing. Adrien glanced up to see Plagg hovering over his coffee table, staring at something with his mouth agape. Adrien approached cautiously.

'What is it?' he asked.

Plagg's mouth snapped shut as he pointed at something on the table, looking at Adrien with an expression bordering on panicked.

Frowning, Adrien circled his lounge. Sitting next to his television remote was a small, plain, dark brown box made of good quality card. He lifted it up to see a small note had been tucked underneath it. Flipping the note over, he read the brief message, then nudged the lid off the box with his thumb.

'Plagg, call Ladybug. Now.'


	18. The Unexpected

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yup, you guessed it.

Chat Noir paced the length of the rooftop, anxious and restless. Of all the things that could have happened, this was the most unexpected.

A soft thud announced Ladybug's arrival. 'Chat, what's this about?' she asked.

Chat Noir turned to her. She looked worried, wringing her hands in a very Marinette fashion. Chat Noir allowed himself a brief sigh of happiness before focussing on the issue at hand.

Walking up to her he said, 'I need you to look at this,' and handed her the note.

She looked at it quizzically before taking it.

'I quit,' she read, raising an eyebrow at him.

'Yup.'

'It just says I quit.'

'Look in the corner of the card.'

She looked at the card again and noticed the outline of a purple butterfly in the bottom right corner.

'You've got to be kidding me,' she muttered with furrowing brows.

'It gets better,' Chat Noir promised, holding the box out to her.

Ladybug took it with trepidation and carefully lifted the lid. Tucked inside on a small cushion of purple silk, sat the Butterfly miraculous.

'You've got to be kidding me,' she repeated, loud with disbelief. 'What? How?' she looked at him helplessly.

Chat Noir shrugged, equally dumbfounded. 'I just came home from school and there it was. Right on my coffee table.'

Ladybug gaped at him. 'It was in your house?'

'It was in my bedroom.'

Ladybug turned ashen. 'Papillon knows who you are.'

'He also gave me his miraculous. He's powerless now.'

'He could still expose your identity,' Ladybug fretted. She was working herself into a panic, shaking her hands and pacing in a tight circle.

Chat Noir grabbed her shoulders. 'Calm down. He can't do anything to us now. We've won.'

She looked up at him, eyes misty. 'We've won,' she repeated in a whisper. She then shook her head and told him, 'we still have to take this to Master Fu. He'll be able to tell if this is real or not.'

'Of course,' Chat Noir agreed. It was just good sense in case this turned out to be an elaborate trap.

'But how did Papillon find out who you are? How did he get into your house, your room?'

'We may never get the answers to those questions. If this does turn out to be real, I won't be looking a gift horse in the mouth, though.'

Ladybug handed the card and the box back to him. 'You should hold on to these. We'll meet up tomorrow afternoon and go see Master Fu.'

'Sounds like a plan, Milady.'

 

* * *

 

Chat Noir had spent an anxious evening wondering who Papillon was and how he'd managed to sneak into his room. It was with a great deal of relief when he met with Ladybug again atop the college Françoise Dupont.

'Do you have them?' she asked.

'Of course,' Chat Noir replied, holding the items up.

Ladybug nodded, and together, they left to find Fu. She led him to a small, respectable looking Chinese massage parlour. Quickly, she darted inside to avoid being seen, Chat Noir following her example.

Chat Noir looked around curiously, realising he'd been here before after the Magician of Misfortune incident. It had rained and Plagg had fallen ill, complaining that he needed a doctor immediately. Adrien had been sorry to miss his physics class, but Plagg's health was more important. He also whined really loud.

Chat Noir was pulled from his thoughts at the sound of a door opening followed by shuffling footsteps. An elderly Chinese man entered the room from the rear of the building and smiled at them both.

'Welcome, Ladybug and Chat Noir. What can I do for you today?'

'We need you to verify something for us. Is there a place we can talk privately?' Ladybug asked.

'Certainly. Follow me, please.' Fu led them to a room with a small table, a mat, and an old phonograph. Closing the door behind them, he asked, 'what has brought you here today?'

They sat around the table and Ladybug released her transformation. 'We need you to look at this,' she replied as Tikki met a green kwami hovering by the phonograph.

Chat Noir placed the note and the box before Fu. He read the note first with a blank expression, then opened the box. He let out a small gasp.

'How did you come to possess this?' he asked.

'I found it in my room, Sir,' Chat explained.

Fu nodded his understanding.

'So, it's the real thing?' Marinette asked.

Fu smiled and confirmed, 'yes. This is the Butterfly miraculous.'

Tikki and the strange kwami flew over to hover above the box.

'What do you think, Wayzz?' asked Fu.

Wayzz regarded the box solemnly. 'I think Nooroo is very tired and heart sore. But I can sense his relief at being with us once again.'

'Then we shall let him rest inside his miraculous for now,' Fu decided.

'But he's the only one who can tell us who Papillon is,' Marinette objected.

'Papillon has willingly surrendered his miraculous. He is no longer a threat to the community. If I had to guess, I'd say he's seen the error of his ways and this is his first step in righting his wrongs.'

'So, we're just supposed to let him go? The people won't like this. They'll want to see justice done,' Marinette argued.

Fu rubbed his chin thoughtfully. 'Perhaps you could regale them with a story of an epic battle in which Papillon was thoroughly defeated. You could say that he lost everything with his defeat, and how that is punishment enough.'

'You mean, lie?' Marinette asked dubiously.

'It may be more palatable for the public than the truth. They still wont be one hundred percent happy, especially the authorities, but I think that's one of the better options for now. Alternatively, you could say nothing at all. Now, how about some celebratory tea?'

Fu prepared the tea while Tikki and Wayzz chased each other around the room. When he finally set a tray laden with steaming mugs before them, Fu asked, 'Why do you not release your transformation, Chat Noir? Clearly, Marinette's identity is no longer a secret. Why do you hesitate?'

Nursing his mug, he explained, 'Marinette's identity was revealed by mistake. We kept mine a secret for safety purposes.'

'But the danger has passed. Will you reveal yourself now?'

Chat Noir saw Marinette's hands jerk and her face pale.

'Not just yet. I think I'll wait until it's just the two of us,' he replied with a roguish wink at Marinette. His smile was soft, however, and she smiled gratefully in return.

Fu regarded them both with a gentle smile of his own. 'I chose well with you two.'


	19. Confessions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I could have been so cruel to you, dear readers, this chapter.   
> That could have been the evillest of cliff hangers. Sigh. Maybe next time.

Gabriel was working at his desk when Adrien entered unannounced. Seating himself in the guest chair, Adrien waited patiently for Gabriel to acknowledge him.

'What can I do for you, Adrien?' he asked, looking up.

Swallowing his nerves, Adrien asked, 'how do you get a girl to like you?'

Gabriel's eyebrows shot up to his hairline. 'Straight to the point, I see. I'm sorry to tell you this, Son, but you can't. She will either like you or she wont. If she doesn't, you wont be able to change her mind.'

'But she does like me. At least, she did. She had a crush on me, but I think she was trying not to. We're friends now, so how do I get her to see me as more than that?'

Resting his chin on his fingers, Gabriel asked, 'I assume we're talking about Ladybug?'

Adrien gasped as his eyes widened. 'How did you know that?' he demanded.

'I do have eyes, Son,' Gabriel sighed. 'So, you want her to like you as Adrien and as Chat Noir?'

Adrien gaped in astonishment. 'How could you possibly know that?' he shouted.

Squeezing his eyes shut, Gabriel said, 'you are not as stealthy as you think you are. I figured you out after that Volpina incident.'

Adrien sat back, flabbergasted. Suddenly, a thought came to him. 'You recognised my miraculous in its dormant state.'

Gabriel nodded. 'I did.'

'How?'

Gabriel stood and turned to the portrait behind his desk. He opened the safe and turned back to Adrien with a heavy book in his hands. 'I believe you may recognise this.'

Adrien pulled the book toward himself and flipped to the page pertaining to the Black Cat. Next to the picture of his ancient predecessor was his ring in its active state.

'I've had that book long enough to recognise a miraculous when I see one,' explained Gabriel, resuming his seat.

Adrien nodded his understanding.

'You want Ladybug to like both sides of you, is that right?'

Shoulders slumping, Adrien replied, 'I want her to like all of me.'

'Does she know who you are?'

'No. I know who she is, and she knows I know. But she wasn't ready to know me, so I've kept quiet. However, I need her to know. I want to tell her now. I've always wanted to tell her, but she was worried about our safety.' Adrien closed his mouth when he realised he was rambling, but Gabriel was nodding along like he understood.

'You can't base a relationship on half truths and secrets. If you want her to like all of you, she needs to see all of you. I recommend you both agree on a time and place with the specific intention of a full reveal so you can deal with the issue then. Once that has been sorted, you can give her this.' Gabriel handed him a small, blue fan. 'It was your mother's.'

Adrien took it reverently with both hands. 'It's beautiful. What is it?'

'It's the Peacock miraculous,' Gabriel replied in a soft voice.

Adrien stopped breathing. He stared at Gabriel in shock and puzzlement. 'This. The book. Why do you have these?' he asked as a terrible realisation dawned.

Gabriel merely looked at him sadly.

'You? You were Papillon?'

Gabriel looked away. 'Yes, I was. After your mother left, I was desperate to get her back. I would have sacrificed everything, even you. It was then I hit my lowest. It was then I met Caline. That marvellous woman turned my life around. She made  me see the monster I had become, made me realise I still had family by my side. She made me want to be a better person. Because of her, I was able to realise Adele  would not want to be brought back like that, by force and at the expense of so many people. Caline helped me accept that loss and move on.'

Gabriel held up his hand and gazed at his engagement ring. 'She saved me from myself.

'I'm so sorry, Adrien. I didn't see I still had you, and I should have. I was afraid you would vanish, too. I tried to keep you here, but I was just pushing you further away. I'm sorry I tried to take your ring. I should have seen you, listened to you, been there for you.

'I don't expect forgiveness, but I hope that one day - '

Adrien's eyes overflowed. He scrambled out of his chair to run around the table and pull Gabriel into a rough hug. Gabriel was startled at first, but finally returned the embrace just as hard.

Gabriel pulled away first, straightening his jacket. 'You can take the book to its rightful owner. I wont be needing it anymore.'

Nodding, Adrien gathered the book and the miraculous. As he was leaving, Gabriel called out to him.

'You may not be able to get someone to like you, but that doesn't mean you can't try to convince her. I'm sure she's fond of you already, you just need to be sincere. Be yourself.'

Adrien's vision blurred as more tears fell. 'Thank you, Father.'

 

* * *

 

Ladybug agreed to meet him on Saturday, just after sunset on top of the North Tower of Notre Dame. They had decided with the "defeat" of Papillon, scheduled patrols were no longer necessary, meeting only when there was a need.

Chat Noir prowled across the top of the tower, anticipation turning his stomach into knots. He still didn't know what he was going to say to Ladybug, but decided he would have to wing it when he saw her swing up to join him.

'Good evening, Chaton,' she greeted.

'Milady, always a pleasure,' he responded with a bow.

Chat Noir's nerves overpowered him and his knees gave out. He sat down heavily with a grunt. 

'Chat?' Ladybug called in concern as she ran toward him. She calmed down when he patted the stone in front of him as an invitation to sit. She seated herself before him and nodded for him to start.

Taking a deep breath, he began. 'I found out who Papillon is.'

Ladybug instantly drew herself up. 'Who is it?'

'My Father,' Chat Noir admitted with a wince.

Ladybug stared at him, eyes wide. 'How did you find out?' she asked.

'He told me. There was some pretty damning evidence in his possession, and when I asked him, he told me everything.' Chat Noir rubbed the back of his head. 'I don't know how to deal with this. I mean, he explained everything. I can forgive him, but I'd like to know what you want.'

Ladybug regarded him carefully. 'You want me to forgive him,' she stated.

'I don't expect that, no.'

'But you want  me to agree to let him go.'

Chat Noir nodded. 'Yes. I'm asking you to trust me on this. I truly believe he's sorry and just wants to get on with his life. He's getting married next year. His fiancé was really the hero here - she's the one who got him to turn himself around. He loves her and wants to be better for her. For me.'

'You really feel that strongly about this?'

'Yes.'

Ladybug closed her eyes and sighed. 'Are you willing to accept responsibility if this doesn't work?'

'Yes.'

Ladybug was quiet for a long moment. 'Ok, Chat. We'll keep this between ourselves for now. But we'll have to keep an eye on him, just to be sure.'

'Really?'

'Think of it as a probationary period. If he puts one toe out of line, we have to deal with it quickly,' she warned.

'Of course. Thank you, Ladybug,' Chat Noir replied effusively.

There was a minute of heavy silence.

Taking a deep breath, Chat Noir continued, 'I wanted to know who you are for so long. The day I found out, I was so scared you'd hate me, but I was also extremely happy. I could put a face to the name, and a name to the face. You were my Princess.' Chat Noir reached out and ran his knuckles down her cheek. 'Every time I saw you after that, I wanted to hold you, tell you who I am. I wanted you to see me.'

Ladybug was blushing. 'I do see you,' she said quietly.

Chat Noir shook his head. 'You only ever saw half of me. I want you to see all of me. To know it's me, no matter what face I'm wearing. Please let me show you,' he murmured as he gently grasped her hands.

'On the count of three?' she suggested.

Chat Noir smiled so wide his cheeks ached. 'As my Princess commands.'

Ladybug huffed a laugh and closed her eyes. 'One,' she began.

Chat Noir closed his own eyes, caught up in the moment. 'Two,' he continued.

'Three,' they said together.

Light flared as they called off their transformations. Adrien opened his eyes first, smiling fondly at Marinette who still had her eyes closed tight. Plagg and Tikki flew over to the other Tower to have their own reunion.

'There's nothing to be afraid of, anymore. You can open your eyes.'

Marinette took a deep breath and opened her eyes.

'Adrien?' she asked with a quiet gasp.

'It's me, Milady,' he said, giving her hands a light squeeze.

Marinette blinked at him as tears gathered in her eyes. She began to wail as the tears spilled over.

'No, shh. Don't cry,' Adrien crooned as he moved forward and hugged her tight. He pulled her into his lap and she buried her face in his shoulder, gripping the back of his shirt.

'I'm such an idiot,' she moaned despairingly.

'No more than me, Bug,' Adrien admitted with a huff of laughter.

'I had a massive crush on you,' she continued.

'I had a pretty big crush on Ladybug,' he confessed.

Marinette shook her head. 'I can't believe how blind I've been. I've been turning you down for you.'

'I was doing the same thing before I found out who you were.'

Marinette moaned pitifully into his shirt.

Rubbing her back, Adrien asked quietly, 'have you given up on me? Please tell me I'm not too late.'

Marinette raised her head and looked at him blankly. 'Too late?'

Adrien cupped her face in his palms. 'I love you, Marinette. I was infatuated with Ladybug, and finding out she was you has only increased those feelings. Please, I need to know. You loved Adrien once. Could you love me again? Could you love Chat Noir?'

'I never stopped loving you, Adrien. Even now, I still love you. Especially now. My Kitty.'

'Really?' Adrien was breathless.

'Really,' she confirmed.

Adrien rubbed his cheek against her hair. 'You're taking this a lot better than I thought you would.'

Marinette shoved him gently. 'I'm going to scream myself hoarse when I get home.'

Adrien laughed and cuddled her tighter. 'Oh, I have something for you,' he said, reaching behind him. He presented her with the book and the Peacock miraculous.

She inspected the book as well as she could in the dim light before looking at the Peacock miraculous. 'What is this?' she asked, turning it over in her hands.

'It's the Peacock miraculous. It belonged to my mother.'

Marinette gaped at him. 'We should return it to Master Fu tomorrow.'

'Absolutely. Where do you want to go for our first date?'

She blushed and looked away with an indelicate snort. 'It can be anywhere. I don't care, as long as it's with you,' she murmured.

Adrien was overcome with affection. Unable to contain himself, he leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead. He chuckled at her resulting squeak and couldn't help but look forward to the days to come.


	20. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is it, the end!   
> I hope you enjoyed the journey, and thank you for reading!

_One year later_

 

Adrien pulled his tie straight.

'What do you think, Plagg?' he asked, examining himself in his bathroom mirror. There was no answer.

Adrien smiled sadly and returned to his room. He and Marinette had decided to relinquish their miraculouses six months ago. Tikki and Marinette had cried long and loud in the privacy of her room, both promising to never forget their time together.

Adrien's and Plagg's farewells had been quieter, but no less emotional. Plagg had curled up beneath Adrien's chin and purred as hard as he could. Adrien gave up trying to contain the tears, letting them run freely down his face with the occasional sob as he stroked Plagg's back.

All together, they had gone to Master Fu, who took their decision calmly, agreeing it was probably for the best.

'Power without purpose often leads to the misuse of that power,' he had told them.

The rest of the world would never know what had become of Paris' superheroes. They had just disappeared as suddenly and mysteriously as they'd appeared. People wondered where they were, why they were gone, the media asked questions, but there was nothing but speculation. The people had noticed Papillon no longer created akumas, so the reigning theory was that Ladybug and Chat Noir had achieved a great victory and then retired.

It was close enough to the truth.

Adrien and Marinette had not initially intended to simply disappear. They knew they had disappointed many people, but if they organised a press release, there would be questions about Papillon's identity and capture. Adrien had asked Marinette to trust him on Gabriel's redemption, to keep it quiet. That quiet had now stretched on for so long there was no longer any point in addressing it. The world had moved on.

Adrien gave a forlorn sigh, and sat to pull his shoes on. He missed Plagg dearly, as well as being Chat Noir. He still felt the ring on his finger like a phantom limb, and was sometimes surprised to see it was no longer there. Marinette said she felt the same.

'Adrien? It's time to go,' Nathalie called through his door.

'Coming,' he called, yanking his laces tight and rushing out the door.

He, Nathalie, and the Gorilla climbed into the car and headed to the church, an average sized building just within the city limits. Marinette was waiting for him just inside the doors, looking resplendent in a soft pink dress of her own design and miniature pink roses woven into her hair.

'You look divine,' Adrien told her by way of greeting.

Marinette blushed and smiled back at him. 'You look pretty handsome, yourself. I like the tie.'

Adrien grinned. He had worn a bright green tie with an entirely black suit in honour of his time as Chat Noir.

'Shall we go in?' he asked, holding out his arm to her.

Marinette grinned, accepting the arm. Adrien led her to her seat before taking his position as Best Man.

When Gabriel entered, he was pale and sweating. He would never allow his nerves to show overtly, but Adrien knew him too well. Adrien tried to calm him with reassuring words and a gentle grip on his shoulder.

When the ceremony began, Caline entered with the traditional Wedding March on her father's arm. She wore a gown designed by Gabriel, but made by his team. Keeping with tradition, Gabriel had not seen the dress at all until now. He had fretted over its creation, certain his team would fall apart without him, but Adrien, Caline, and Nathalie had told him all was going splendidly. 

Caline looked beautiful, her eyes lit up and complemented by accents in the lace of her bodice. Adrien was sure Gabriel had forgotten how to breathe.

The wedding was humble by Agreste standards, but poignant. Adrien had to dab his own tears on his sleeve more than once. The reception was dignified for the first hour, but after some people had partaken too liberally of the open bar, the standards slipped. It soon became a party like any other.

'So, my Maribug. Got any ideas for our own wedding?' Adrien asked with a cheeky grin.

Marinette smirked. 'So many,' she answered with a wink.

Adrien blushed furiously and started stammering. A whole year together and she could still turn him into this. He hoped the feeling would never end.

'Hello, you two. Having a good time?' Caline asked, sliding breathlessly into a chair beside them.

'Yes, thank you, Missus Agreste,' Marinette answered with a light giggle as Adrien nodded his agreement.

Caline flushed and her eyes darted about. 'There's actually something I wanted to talk to you about, Adrien,' she said.

'Yes?' he asked.

Caline couldn't meet his eye and her blush deepened. 'How, um. How would you like a little brother or sister to play with?'

Marinette gasped, clasping her hands together under her chin. 'No way,' she breathed.

Caline's face was completely red as she nodded. Marinette began to squeal excitedly, but was hushed by Caline.

'Gabriel doesn't know yet. I want to surprise him. I just thought you had a right to know too, Adrien.'

Adrien could only stare at her, mouth open. 'Wait, wait. Are you saying that you're...' he nodded pointedly at her belly.

Caline nodded. 'Yes. It's only been a few weeks, but I swear I can feel it already.' She placed her hands on her stomach with a dreamy smile.

Adrien grinned, elated. 'Congratulations. I'm so happy for you both,' he said sincerely.

'Thank you, Adrien. You too, Marinette.' Caline left then, family calling for her attention, promising they would speak again later.

Marinette sighed wistfully.

Adrien wrapped his arm around her. 'This'll be us one day, my Princess,' he promised.

Marinette rested her head on his shoulder. 'I wish Plagg and Tikki could have seen it.'

'Me too.'

'Do you think we'll ever tell anyone we were them?'

'I don't know. Maybe a few special people, in time.'

'I miss it. The rush, the exhilaration. Tikki,' Marinette admitted quietly.

Adrien nodded. 'Me too.'

He perked up. 'But, you know, we still have each other, and we still have our families,' he grinned at that. 'We also still have our friends, and one day, a family of our own. We have so much to be thankful for and look forward to, and I consider myself the luckiest person in the world to be able to share that with you.'

Marinette blushed and planted a soft kiss on his lips. 'You're right. We can do anything, as long as it's together. We're a team.'

'Always and for ever, Love.'


End file.
